Mumbai: Forensic laboratories are struggling to determine what killed four members of the Dokadia family, as multiple tests on food samples and viscera for common poisons have yielded no results. Officials have hinted that if all 54 tests fail to detect a toxin, the final report may be inconclusive.
Extensive Testing Underway
While 10 standard tests typically confirm poisoning in most cases, and 20 may show indications in others, this case has required the lab to use its entire testing kit. Samples were divided among the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), and the public health department. Bacterial or fungal causes cannot be ruled out, but the FDA could not test for them. A forensic labs official stated, "If the FSL reports are inconclusive, the medical side will have to provide the final opinion."
Victims and Initial Suspicions
The deceased, residents of Bhendi Bazaar, are identified as Abdulla Dokadia, 44, who owned a mobile phone accessories shop in Andheri; his wife Nasreen, 35; and their daughters Ayesha, 16, and Zainab, 12. Their rapid deaths were initially linked to a watermelon, but FDA tests ruled out additives and colours from the samples collected.
Expert Insights on Inconclusive Results
Dr. Rukmani Krishnamurthy, Mumbai's top forensic expert and former FSL director of eight years, explained that if a toxin has metabolised in the body, it becomes very difficult to detect in forensic analysis. She noted that reports can also be inconclusive if the sample is insufficient. The procedures to extract chemicals are extensive. "A series of toxins, like insecticides or other chloral toxins, are seen in initial tests. But there are many groups of chemicals which are toxic in nature that will have to be ruled out," she said.
FSL tests utilise standards, controlled samples, and blanks. "If there is any peak in the data, we can spot it immediately," Dr. Krishnamurthy added. There have been previous instances where deaths occurred and the reports remained inconclusive; in such cases, the medical forensic team's opinion is final.
