- By Shubham Bajpai
- Thu, 07 May 2026 08:16 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a breakthrough in the Mumbai family death case, the police have confirmed the presence of rat poison in the bodies of the deceased.
The experts who examined the viscera of the deceased found traces of Zinc Phosphide, a highly toxic acute rodenticide to control rats and mice, the official added.
The deceased Abdulla Dokadia (44), his wife Nasrin (35), as well as minor daughters Aayesha (16) and Zaineb (13) had died on April 26 after they reported symptoms of food poisoning and were subsequently admitted to a hospital.
They were the residents of the Pydhonie area of South Mumbai. The family did not die due to the consumption of watermelons as was widely believed, he said.
"It is, however, unclear whether the rat poison was consumed accidentally (or on purpose). So far, we have found no strong reason why the whole family would take such an extreme step. Further probe is being conducted by the JJ Marg police station, which has recorded statements of kin and neighbours," he said.
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The Dokadia family, residents of Ghari Mohalla on Ismail Kurte Road in Pydhonie area, had hosted a get-together of relatives on the night of April 25. At dinner, they had eaten chicken pulao.
The guests left the house after dinner. At around 1 am, the family ate pieces of a watermelon.
Early morning on April 26, they suffered severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea and were rushed to a local hospital before being referred to the government-run JJ Hospital.
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As the guests, who had eaten pulao, showed no symptoms, it was widely believed that the watermelon caused food poisoning. The entire family died at the JJ Hospital on April 26.