No ‘bacterial infection’ found in bodies of four Mumbai family members who died after eating watermelon

The initial report submitted by the microbiology department of the Mumbai-based government hospital did not detect any “bacterial infection” in the body of four family members who died after consuming watermelon recently, officials said on Wednesday (May 6, 2026).

The Dokadia family, residents of Ghari Mohalla on Ismail Kurte Road, had hosted a get-together of their relatives on the night of April 25. Hours after the guests left, around 1 a.m. (April 26), Abdullah Dokadia, 40, his wife Nasreen, 35, and their daughters Ayesha, 16, and Zaineb, 13, ate pieces of watermelon.

They suffered severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhea in the early hours of April 26 and were taken to a local hospital before being transferred to the government-run JJ Hospital, where all four died during treatment.

Following the incident, Mumbai police, forensic experts and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials visited the house and collected samples of every food item that made up the family’s last meal, including ‘chicken pulav’, watermelon, water and other food items, and sent them to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis.

After the autopsy of the deceased, his internal organs were preserved for chemical analysis.

While the investigation was ongoing, the microbiology department of the state-run JJ Hospital submitted its first report to the police.

“According to the report, no bacterial infection has been found in the victims’ bodies so far. No bacteria has been found in their blood,” the official said.

He said the exact cause of death would be known once the forensic laboratory submits its report.

“The report will also clarify whether any food item consumed by the family members during the day contained anything poisonous,” the official said.