Mumbai watermelon case update: Stunning twist as no additives found in fruit by FDA, focus shifts to poison angle

Days after a family of four died in south Mumbai, there could be some answers as to what happened at the Dokadia house after 1 am and whether watermelon played a role in their deaths or not. An investigation has ruled out food adulteration in the tragic death of Abdulla Dokadia, 44, his wife Nasreen and two minor daughters Ayesha and Zainab. The FDA reports have shown that none of the food samples collected from the house showed any signs of adulteration, additives such as artificial sweeteners or colours, reports TOI's Eshan Kalyanikar.

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Mumbai watermelon case update

In a stunning twist, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) tests on food samples (watermelon, biryani, water, and spices) collected from the home have found no signs of adulteration. Forensic experts will now perform other tests to look for toxins produced by microorganisms or by other poisonous substances. "The entire database of poisons will be compared with the findings of the tests," a top forensic expert told TOI.


Investigators are now waiting for the lab test results which will throw light on whether the deaths happened due to food poisoning resulting from bacterial growth or by the ingestion of a toxic substance.

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No artificial sweetener in watermelon

The FDA also ruled out the presence of synthetic dyes and other additives used to artificially enhance colour, sweetness, or size in the watermelon. All other food samples collected were found to meet standard quality norms. The water sample yielded inconclusive results, while the dates could not be tested due to insufficient quantity.

The meat sample has been sent to BMC laboratories for protein analysis. FDA officials have noted that bacterial contamination or other toxins could not be ruled out, as those tests were not conducted.

Four of family die after eating biryani and watermelon

On April, four members of the same family, Abdullah Dokadia, Nasreen, Ayesha and Zainab died in quick succession. The family had invited their relatives for a feast and everyone was served biryani. After the relatives left, the family consumed watermelon at around 1 am. Around 5 am in the morning, the health conditions of all four started to worsen and they complained of vomiting, loose motion and severe discomfort.

Food poison ruled out

Earlier, Dr Sanjay Surase, medical superintendent of Sir JJ Hospital, ruled out food poison as the cause of deaths. “If this were food poisoning, the clinical picture would be very different. It does not typically lead to such rapid and severe deterioration. The speed of deterioration, the severity of the condition, and the fact that multiple members of a single family were affected are not consistent with a routine foodborne illness. While food contamination can cause symptoms such as vomiting or indigestion, it does not lead to such severe poisoning and death. People tend to associate illness with the last thing they consumed. But medically, there is no evidence to support that in this case,” he was quoted as saying Indian Express.