Investigators in Mumbai, India, are pursuing a grim new theory in the deaths of four family members who were poisoned after eating watermelon in late April — that rat poison may have been deliberately mixed with salt and sprinkled on the fruit slices before the family consumed them in the early morning hours of April 26.
The deaths of Abdullah Dokadia, 40, his wife Nasreen, 35, and their daughters Ayesha, 16, and Zainab, 12, have gripped the nation since their bodies were discovered in their first-floor apartment in the Pydhonie area of south Mumbai on April 25, 2026. What began as a medical emergency has evolved into a forensic mystery that has crashed watermelon sales across the city and left experts baffled about how a deadly toxin ended up on the family’s late-night snack.
As of May 19, Mumbai Police sent additional salt samples from the Dokadia family home to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for fresh testing, and investigators have recorded statements from more than 100 individuals as they work to solve what has become one of India’s most perplexing poisoning investigations.
The Poison That Killed Them
After 11 days of intensive laboratory analysis, forensic scientists confirmed on May 7 that zinc phosphide — a highly toxic compound commonly sold as rat poison — had killed all four family members. The FSL in Mumbai conducted 54 tests on samples seized from the home, including half-eaten watermelon rinds, spices, kitchen articles, and food items.
The chemical was detected in the viscera of all four deceased — in their liver, kidney, spleen, stomach contents, bile, and abdominal fat — and crucially, in the watermelon samples as well. No other food item tested positive for the toxin. The State Food and Drug Administration found no adulteration in any of the food samples collected from the home, making the watermelon the sole item to test positive for the toxin.
Medical experts say the compound is an inorganic substance containing phosphorus and zinc that is widely available across India. When ingested, it reacts with stomach acid to produce phosphine gas — an extremely toxic substance that spreads through the body, crosses into cells, and shuts down their ability to produce energy. Symptoms typically begin within 30 minutes to an hour and include vomiting, dizziness, breathing difficulty, and convulsions. In severe cases, the poison causes liver and kidney failure, delirium, and coma.
Forensic experts cited in coverage of the case say treatment is only viable within a roughly one-hour window. After that, even aggressive medical intervention is unlikely to succeed. Dr. Hemalata Arora, an internal medicine specialist, explained that stomach wash procedures are effective only within that narrow timeframe. Dr. Rukmani Krishnamurthy, a former FSL director, noted that zinc phosphide is usually sold in powder form, raising the possibility that the substance was applied directly to the cut watermelon.
A Family Dinner Ends in Tragedy
The evening of April 25 seemed ordinary enough. The Dokadia family hosted relatives for a dinner of biryani at their home. The guests left around 10:30 p.m. Sometime between 1:00 a.m. and 1:30 a.m., the four family members ate watermelon — the last thing they would ever consume.
Within hours, all four were violently ill, suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. The doctor who first treated them later recalled that the victims had lost control of their limbs entirely and had to be carried to hospital in bedsheets, unable to walk. Dr. Zaid Qureshi, a neighbor who lived on the fourth floor of the old building, rushed to help and found the youngest daughter, Zainab, struggling to breathe.
“I noticed that the youngest of the four individuals was experiencing difficulty breathing. I administered CPR. However, as her condition did not improve, she was taken to a nearby hospital. She passed away,” Qureshi told BBC Marathi.
Zainab died at 10:15 a.m. on April 26. The remaining three were transferred to JJ Hospital in Mumbai for intensive treatment. Nasreen and Ayesha followed shortly after. Abdullah, the father, succumbed at 10:30 p.m. that same day. Doctors performed stomach wash procedures and provided intensive medical care, but the toxin had already done its work. Forensic experts suggest the youngest child likely died first because her smaller body could not withstand the toxin.
Every Possibility Under Investigation
Deputy Commissioner of Police Pravin Mundhe confirmed that police had registered a case of accidental death, while the JJ Marg police station continues to record statements from relatives and neighbors. Post-mortem reports confirmed zinc phosphide as the cause of death.
Investigators say the building has a known rodent problem, but there was no indication that rat poison was kept inside the Dokadia home. Police sources believe whoever mixed the poison likely disposed of the original container afterward, leaving investigators with no direct physical evidence to trace. That has left police considering every possibility — from accidental contamination to deliberate tampering. Two fruit sellers were arrested in connection with applying rat poison on fruits, though the link to the Dokadia case has not been formally established.
Police suspect the zinc phosphide was mixed with salt and sprinkled directly onto the cut watermelon — meaning the family would have noticed only a salty taste, as zinc phosphide itself is odorless and tasteless.
The case, which Indian media quickly branded the “watermelon deaths,” has dominated headlines for weeks, triggered a crash in watermelon prices across Mumbai fruit markets, and prompted widespread public warnings about the safety of the country’s most beloved summer fruit.
The city of Mumbai is left with a chilling unanswered question: how did a household staple, eaten in the middle of the night, become the instrument of an entire family’s death? Until investigators can piece together the final hours before that fatal slice, the watermelon deaths will remain one of India’s most haunting forensic puzzles.