A report submitted on Thursday by the state-run Forensic Science Laboratory revealed that traces of zinc phosphide were detected in the viscera samples of all four deceased family members. Investigators also found traces of the toxic chemical in watermelon samples recovered from the family’s home.
According to the forensic findings, the poisonous substance was present in the liver, kidneys, stomach, bile, and spleen of the deceased, establishing a direct link between the deaths and the toxic exposure.
The Dokadia family had shared dinner with their extended relatives on the night of the incident. However, no other family members reported discomfort or illness after the meal. Investigators found that only the four family members who consumed watermelon died within hours, intensifying suspicion around the fruit consumed at the residence.
Earlier investigations by the Food and Drug Administration had ruled out adulteration in other food items collected from the home. Preliminary findings had also initially dismissed watermelon as the source of poisoning. The latest forensic analysis has now overturned those assumptions after confirming the presence of zinc phosphide in the fruit samples.
Zinc phosphide is a highly toxic inorganic chemical compound commonly used as a rodenticide to eliminate rats and mice. Medical experts describe it as one of the deadliest household poisons due to its rapid and severe impact on the human body.
Once ingested, the compound reacts with moisture and stomach acid to release phosphine gas, an extremely poisonous substance that can trigger rapid organ failure. Symptoms of poisoning can appear within 30 minutes to an hour and may include severe vomiting, dizziness, diarrhoea, and breathing difficulties.
Health experts state that phosphine gas causes both metabolic and nonmetabolic toxic effects. Clinical manifestations include circulatory collapse, hypotension, shock symptoms, myocarditis, pericarditis, acute pulmonary edema, and congestive heart failure. Authorities also note that there is currently no specific antidote available for zinc phosphide toxicity.
The forensic findings have now provided a crucial breakthrough in the high-profile Mumbai deaths case, ending weeks of uncertainty and raising serious concerns about the handling and possible contamination of toxic household substances.
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