Another 'Watermelon Death': 15-Year-Old Dies In Chhattisgarh Weeks After Mumbai Family Tragedy

Last Updated:May 12, 2026, 10:49 IST

Doctros said the watermelon had reportedly been cut in the morning and consumed several hours later, raising the possibility of contamination

A 15-year-old boy died while three other children fell ill after consuming watermelon in a village in Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir-Champa district, the second such incident reported in the country within a month following the tragic death of a family of four in Mumbai’s Pydhonie last month.

The latest incident took place in Ghurkot village, where the children had come to their maternal uncle’s house after attending a wedding. The deceased was identified as Akhilesh Dhivar (15), a resident of Podi Dalha village, while the other affected children are Shri Dhivar (4) from Avarid village, Pintu Dhivar (12) from Khatola and Hitesh Dhivar (13) from Kotgarh.

“As per preliminary information, the children consumed cut watermelon kept at the house on Sunday evening. A few hours later, Akhilesh started vomiting, had diarrhoea and breathing difficulties. Similar symptoms were later noticed in the other three children as well," said district hospital civil surgeon Dr S Kujur.

“As their condition deteriorated, family members rushed them to the district hospital in ambulances at different times on Monday. However, Akhilesh was declared brought dead on arrival. The three other children were admitted to the emergency ward here," he added.

Cut Watermelon Contamination?

Dr Kujur said the watermelon had reportedly been cut in the morning and consumed several hours later, raising the possibility of contamination.

“Prima facie, the children may have suffered food poisoning due to consumption of contaminated watermelon. The body of the teenager has been sent for post-mortem and viscera samples have been preserved for forensic examination. Another watermelon kept at the house was sent to the food safety department for laboratory testing," Kujur said.

Officials said the exact cause of death and illness would be known only after the forensic and food safety reports are received.

Mumbai Mystery Deepens With Rat Poison Angle

The Chhattisgarh tragedy comes amid a new twist in the death of four members of a family in Pydhonie area of south Mumbai, with rat poisoning now suspected to be the cause.

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report reportedly confirmed the presence of zinc phosphide in the viscera (liver, kidney, spleen), stomach contents, bile, and abdominal fat samples of the deceased, who were identified as Abdulla Dokadia (44), his wife Nasrin (35) and their daughters Aayesha (16) and Zaineb (13).

Zinc phosphide is used primarily as a highly toxic acute rodenticide to control rats and mice.

The Dokadia family, residents of Ghari Mohalla on Ismail Kurte Road, had hosted a get-together of relatives on the night of April 25. At around 1am, hours after the guests had left, Abdullah Dokadia, his wife Nasreen, and daughters Ayesha and Zaineb ate pieces of a watermelon.

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

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