Eleven days and 54 tests later, forensic laboratories in Kalina have found that rat poison in the watermelon killed four members of the Dokadia family in Bhendi Bazaar's Pydhonie area. Senior forensic officials from state forensic labs (FSL) said that zinc phosphide, a common rat poison, was found within the fruit as well as the viscera, including liver, kidney, spleen, stomach bile, and abdominal bile samples.
No External Contamination
There was no indication of external contamination on the fruit. The poison was on the inside, and officials stated it is unlikely to have entered the fruit through an injection. How this substance ended up inside the fruit will now form a central part of police investigations.
J J Marg police confirmed receipt of the report. DCP Dr. Pravin Mundhe said the report will be studied in depth, and further investigation will continue in consultation with forensic doctors. Police sources indicated they will probe all angles to ascertain how the watermelon was poisoned—whether at the vendor's end or if someone else is involved. They have yet to decide whether to treat this case as homicidal, accidental, or suicidal. No rat poison was found in the Dokadia house.
Challenging Forensic Analysis
On Wednesday, TOI reported that this case required more time from FSL than usual. While toxins are typically detected within the first 10 to 20 rounds of testing, the Dokadia case was tough. The family had vomited out a large portion of the toxin, requiring 54 rounds of testing to identify the trace amounts remaining. The forensic official explained that ingestion of zinc phosphide triggers the creation of phosphine gas within the body. When this gas seeps into the lungs, it causes a rapid collapse in oxygen levels. This is why the youngest child passed away first—her body could not sustain the poison. The timeframe of the reaction depends on an individual's body mass and health. Death in zinc phosphide cases is almost certain once the gas is released within the body.
Victims and Timeline
The four who died on the second floor of Mughal Building in Bhendi Bazaar's Pydhonie area have been identified as: Abdullah Dokadia (44), who owned a mobile phone accessories shop in Andheri; his wife Nasreen (35); and daughters Ayesha (16) and Zainab (12). The watermelon, which only these four ate on Sunday, April 26, at 1:30 am, following a Saturday night family feast of chicken pulao with five other relatives, led to their deaths. Forensic results for the pulao and all other edible items were negative.
Hours after consumption, they all began experiencing discomfort, vomiting, and diarrhea. They were rushed to hospitals where they died one after the other. Zainab was the first to die around 10 am, while Abdullah was the last to die around 10 pm.
Expert Opinions
Dr. Rukmani Krishnamurthy, former FSL director, said zinc phosphide is highly toxic and the deadly dose is very low. It is also easily available. It could either be an intentional ingestion or it could be that somebody put it inside. She added that in such cases, doctors could have saved them had they reached the hospital earlier. At state-run J J Hospital in Byculla, doctors followed protocol with stomach wash and strong medicines, but all failed.
Dr. Hemalata Arora, internal medicine doctor at Nanavati Hospital, said stomach washes work only if performed within one hour after consumption. Once the stomach is empty, there is nothing to wash. She said the timeline of symptoms depends on the quantity of poison consumed. As four to five hours had passed after consumption, the dosage was likely very low, because a high dose would have shown symptoms much faster.
Investigation Continues
Meanwhile, there were speculations that the family was in poor financial situation, but police earlier called it baseless. They also went through the family's medical history. Ayurvedic and unani medicines were found, and these are still under investigation, said a JJ Marg police station officer. He added that it was a happy family, as far as the investigation so far is concerned.
