Big Drop In Watermelon Prices In Navi Mumbai After 'Food Poisoning' Deaths

Prices of watermelon have dropped to as low as Rs 7 per kilogram at the Navi Mumbai fruit market after demand for the fruit plummetted following the deaths of four of a family which consumed it last week.

Despite it being a highly-consumed fruit during the summer, demand remains low at the Navi Mumbai APMC, one of Asia's largest wholesale agricultural markets. With the fruit selling for between Rs 5 to Rs 7 per kilogram, traders are reporting suffering immense financial losses. The fruit is usually sold at wholesale rates of Rs 10-35 per kilogram, while the retail prices range between Rs 30 and Rs 100 per kilogram.

Abdullah Dokadia (40), his wife Nasreen (35), and daughters Ayesha (16) and Zaineb (13), residents of south Mumbai, ate pieces of a watermelon after a get-together or relatives at their house on Saturday night. All suffered severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea, and within hours, the four died during treatment.

A forensic team combed the Dokadia residence on Tuesday to collect samples of every food item that constituted the family's last meal, including 'chicken pulav', watermelon, water and other food and sent them to the Forensic Science Laboratory.

After autopsies were conducted, a preliminary report confirmed that four deaths were due to suspected food poisoning.

Though it is prima facie a case of food poisoning, it is also being investigated whether the family was under any kind of stress and whether it was a case of suicide. Abdullah Dokadia's bank statements are being examined to check whether he was under stress due to financial reasons.

Police have recorded the statements of the five guests who had attended the get-together. The guests told police that they all had consumed the pulav but did not experience any ill-effects, like vomiting or loose motions.

With inputs from Rahul Kamble