Four members of a family died in Mumbai last week, and at the time it was reported that eating watermelon had caused their deaths. Panic spread about buying the popular summer fruit, and there were even reports of its price falling in some areas, NDTV reported.

It now appears, however, that the cause was not an innocent fruit such as watermelon but a deadly substance. That substance turned some of the victims' organs green, suggesting possible poisoning.

Abdullah Dokadia, a 45-year-old local businessman, ran a mobile accessories shop. His wife Nasrin, 35, and their children Zainab, 13, and Ayesha, 16, hosted a dinner for five relatives on Saturday, serving pulao and meat at their home. After the relatives left, the family ate watermelon at about 1am, and by 5am they had fallen ill. All had the same symptoms, vomiting and diarrhoea, and they died within a few hours.

A source told NDTV that preliminary forensic tests showed some of the victims' organs, including the brain, heart and intestines, had turned green.

Doctors examining the case said the symptoms and internal findings did not match typical cases of food poisoning.

Morphine was detected in Abdullah Dokadia's body. Morphine is a powerful painkiller usually given in controlled medical settings. Investigators are now examining whether this points to earlier medical treatment, accidental exposure or something more suspicious.

The state Food and Drug Administration said it has so far found no direct link between the deaths and the watermelon, and a final conclusion can be reached only after the investigation. Officials said they are waiting for the final report.

A case of accidental death was registered last week. Police have recorded statements from the guests who ate with the family and are still well.

Police are looking into whether the family was under mental stress. The state FDA is also investigating whether the watermelon they ate contained any external toxic substance or adulterant. The internal organs of the bodies have reportedly been sent for chemical analysis.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.