Another twist in Ahmedabad ‘dosa’ deaths: 'Nil' toxins found in batter, viscera of 3-month, 4-year-old

AHMEDABAD: The forensic report was supposed to answer the question everyone was asking: what killed 3-month-old Raha and 4-year-old Mishri Prajapati? Instead, it has deepened the mystery. The family claimed that the children died of food poisoning after eating dosas made from store-bought batter. However, the FSL found "nil" toxins in the suspected dosa batter and the children's viscera, sources said.

With the forensic findings offering no clear answers, the police are now waiting on a panel postmortem report and possibly preparing for lie-detection tests.

Sources close to the investigation said the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report recorded "nil" presence of toxins in both the dosa batter allegedly consumed by the family and the viscera samples of the deceased girls.

Fifteen days after the incident, police said they received the FSL report but did not examine its contents and instead forwarded it to the Civil Hospital for expert review. A panel of doctors has been asked to determine the exact cause of death based on all available findings.

ACP (L-Division) D V Rana confirmed that the report was sent to the Civil Hospital. He said that further action would depend on the panel's opinion. "We have not seen or opened the report. We will act only after the doctors determine the cause of death. At present, the case is being treated as an accidental death," he said.

Rana added that the blood samples of the parents, Vimal and Bhavna, showed the presence of two toxic substances. "We have sent their blood samples to the FSL for confirmation. The doctors' final report may take a week or more. We will seek further forensic input if required."

Police are now relying on the panel postmortem report. Experts said that if the medical opinion does not clarify the deaths, investigators may consider lie-detection tests for the parents and other relatives. "Narco analysis could be explored as a last resort, though such tests are not admissible as evidence in court and are used only to gather leads," an expert said.

Sources said the "nil" toxin report has complicated the investigation, as earlier toxicology findings from the parents, who also consumed the dosa but survived, indicated "the presence of substances commonly found in fumigants used for stored grains and rodent repellents". Police had expected similar traces in the children's samples, they added.

Infant Raha died first on April 4, and her body was exhumed on April 7 for forensic examination. The body of Mishri, who died on April 5, was sent for postmortem at Civil Hospital, where a panel of doctors conducted the exam. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed, sources said.

Experts said the absence of toxins in the batter was not entirely unexpected, noting that "over 200 customers who consumed food from the same source did not report illness". This suggests that contamination, if any, may have occurred locally after purchase.

Forensic experts also pointed out that "severe vomiting and diarrhoea in children could reduce toxin levels in the body, making them harder to detect". They added that children's "higher metabolic rates can lead to faster and more severe effects from toxic exposure, potentially turning a smaller dose lethal".

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