A tragic incident in Mumbai’s Paydhuni locality has left a family of four dead, with investigators examining whether contaminated food led to the sudden fatalities.

The victims have been identified as Abdullah Dokadia (40), his wife Nasreen Dokadia (35), and their daughters Ayesha (16) and Zainab (13). The family reportedly fell ill within hours of having dinner at home on Saturday night.

According to initial details, relatives had been invited over earlier in the evening for a meal that included biryani. After their guests departed around 10:30 pm, the family is said to have eaten watermelon close to 1 am. In the early hours of the morning, between 5 am and 6 am, all four began experiencing severe vomiting and diarrhoea, along with extreme weakness.

A doctor residing in the same building rushed to their flat after being alerted. He later described finding the family members in a semi-conscious condition. One of the teenage daughters was reportedly struggling to breathe and showed no detectable pulse. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was attempted immediately, but there was no response. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.

As the others’ condition rapidly declined, they were shifted to a local medical facility and subsequently referred to JJ Hospital. Despite efforts to stabilise them, all four succumbed during treatment.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Pravin Munde confirmed that an accidental death report has been filed at JJ Marg police station. He stated that the family had shared dinner with relatives earlier that night and began showing symptoms several hours later.

Local resident Dr Zaid Qureshi said the illness appeared to escalate suddenly, with acute gastrointestinal symptoms and rapid deterioration.

The incident has also drawn political attention. Waris Pathan, national spokesperson of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), termed the episode deeply distressing and called for a thorough probe. He urged authorities to determine the exact cause and release findings publicly.

Police officials have said that while food poisoning is one possible explanation, other causes have not been ruled out. Samples of food and biological material have been collected during the postmortem examination and sent for forensic analysis.

Investigators have emphasised that conclusions will only be drawn after laboratory and autopsy reports are received. The inquiry remains ongoing.