Mumbai police are still investigating whether the deaths were accidental, suicidal or homicidal.
MUMBAI, India — A final hospital report confirmed that zinc phosphide poisoning killed four members of a south Mumbai family who became sick after eating watermelon at home in late April, police said, leaving investigators focused on how the poison entered the fruit.
The deaths of Abdullah Dokadia, his wife, Nasreen, and their daughters, Ayesha and Zainab, drew national attention in India after the fruit became linked to the case. Police and doctors have moved the investigation from a broad food safety scare to a poison inquiry, while saying the motive and method remain unknown. The case is now centered on whether the deaths were caused by an accident, suicide or homicide.
The family lived in Pydhonie, a dense south Mumbai neighborhood near Bhendi Bazaar. Police said relatives had visited the Dokadia home for dinner on the night of April 25, and the group ate biryani or pulao before the guests left late that night. A few hours later, only the four family members ate watermelon. By early morning, they were vomiting and suffering diarrhea, officials said. They were first taken to a nearby hospital and then transferred to the state-run Sir JJ Hospital in Byculla. Deputy Commissioner of Police Pravin Mundhe said the four became ill soon after eating the fruit and later died despite treatment.
The final cause-of-death certificate from Sir JJ Hospital listed poisoning due to zinc phosphide, a toxic chemical used in rat poison. Earlier forensic testing had found the same substance in the family members’ viscera and in samples of the watermelon collected during the investigation. Officials said zinc phosphide was detected in organs including the liver, kidney and spleen, as well as in stomach contents, bile and abdominal fat. Police said other food items seized from the home did not test positive for the poison, which sharpened the focus on the watermelon and the moments after the family meal.
Forensic officials said the case took longer than usual to test because the victims had vomited before samples were analyzed, leaving smaller traces of the toxin. Laboratory teams in Kalina conducted dozens of tests before identifying the poison. Doctors said zinc phosphide can create phosphine gas after contact with moisture or stomach acid, a reaction that can damage several organs and cause oxygen levels to collapse. Earlier food tests by Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration found no artificial colors, sweeteners or similar additives in the watermelon, biryani, water or spices collected from the home.
The incident quickly became known in local coverage as the “watermelon deaths,” a label that spread before investigators had confirmed the chemical cause. Demand for watermelon fell in some Mumbai markets as rumors moved faster than lab findings. Officials later stressed that the investigation was not a general warning about the fruit but a probe into how poison came to be present in this specific sample. The Dokadia building reportedly had a rodent problem, and residents in the area used repellents, poison cakes and glue pads to control rats.
Police have questioned relatives, neighbors, friends and work contacts as part of the inquiry. A senior police officer said investigators were still collecting evidence and looking at all possible motives. Police have not named a suspect or announced charges. Investigators also sent a rat repellent spray found at the Dokadia residence for forensic examination, and they are waiting for that report. The central question remains whether the poison entered the watermelon before it reached the home, after it was brought inside, or through some other contact that has not yet been established.
Neighbors tried to help when the family’s condition worsened. Dr. Zaid Qureshi, who lived in the building, told BBC Marathi that the youngest victim had trouble breathing and that he administered CPR before she was taken to a hospital. The other three were also moved from a local hospital to Sir JJ Hospital, where doctors tried treatment including stomach wash and medication, according to local reports. The deaths unfolded over hours, deepening shock in a community where the family’s sudden illness had first looked like a severe food reaction.
The case now rests with Mumbai police and forensic specialists as they compare lab results, witness statements and items seized from the home. Officials have said they are not ruling out any major theory. The next key step is the forensic report on the rat repellent spray and any further police finding on how zinc phosphide reached the watermelon.