The deaths of four members of a family in south Mumbai last month were caused by zinc phosphide, a chemical commonly used in rat poison, and not by consumption of watermelon as initially suspected, PTI reported on Thursday, citing officials.
Incident Details
The case came to light in April after the Muslim family, comprising a husband, wife, and their two daughters, died following suspected food poisoning. Earlier, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Pravin Munde had said the investigation into the deaths was underway and that food and body samples had been collected for examination after the post-mortem.
In a self-recorded video statement issued last month, Munde said the family had hosted relatives for a meal at their residence on April 25. “A report of unnatural death has been reported at JJ Marg Police Station. Four members of a Muslim family - husband, wife and their two daughters - died. On 25th April, they had invited a few relatives to their home and had a meal with them. Around 10-10.30 pm, after the meal, the relatives left,” he said.
“The family consumed watermelon around 1-1.30 am at night. Around 5-6 am, they started complaining of vomiting and loose motions. They were rushed to a nearby hospital and yesterday, all four of them died,” Munde added. He also said that a post-mortem was conducted and samples were collected as part of the investigation.
Investigation Findings
Earlier on Wednesday, officials said post-mortem examinations had been conducted and the viscera of the deceased preserved for chemical analysis. They added that as part of the investigation, the microbiology department of JJ Hospital submitted a preliminary report to the police stating that no bacterial infection had been detected in the victims. “As per the report, no bacterial infection has been detected so far in the bodies of the victims. No bacteria was found in their blood,” an official said.
Officials added that the exact cause of death would be determined after the forensic science laboratory submitted its final report. “The report will also clarify whether any food items consumed by the family members during the day contained anything poisonous,” the official had added.
Final Confirmation
On Thursday, officials confirmed that the toxicology report revealed the presence of zinc phosphide, a common rat poison, in the victims' bodies. This ruled out the initial suspicion that the deaths were caused by contaminated watermelon. The police are now investigating how the poison was ingested, whether it was accidental or intentional.
