Overview
- The final post-mortem from JJ Hospital, issued Thursday, confirmed zinc phosphide poisoning as the cause of four deaths in Pydhonie.
- Lab tests detected the rodenticide in leftover watermelon and in each victim’s viscera.
- Forensic experts note the powder does not dissolve in water and a thick rind blocks seepage, which points to sprinkling on cut fruit.
- Police have taken about 100 statements and are reviewing CCTV and call records, yet no suspect has emerged and the case remains an Accidental Death Report.
- Separate reports of illness or death after eating watermelon in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha are under investigation, with doctors cautioning that the cause in those cases is not yet confirmed.