Team Goemkarponn
MAPUSA: The investigation into the deaths of a family in Mapusa has entered a crucial stage, with authorities awaiting forensic and chemical examination reports to ascertain the exact cause of the incident.
The post-mortem examination of the father and his seven-year-old son has been completed. However, doctors have withheld their final opinion until laboratory tests on the collected viscera and other samples are completed.
Sources familiar with the medical examination said preliminary observations point towards the possibility of poisoning. While no definitive conclusion has been reached, the findings are believed to be more suggestive of insecticide exposure than poisoning caused by conventional rat poison.
Medical sources explained that fatalities resulting from commonly used rodenticides generally occur after several days, whereas the circumstances surrounding these deaths appear to indicate a different toxic substance. They also noted that an odour resembling agricultural insecticide was detected during the examination, although they stressed that only the forensic analysis can establish the exact cause.
Meanwhile, police have registered the case as an unnatural death and are continuing their investigation. Officers said they are examining every possible angle, including accidental poisoning, suicide and the possibility of criminal involvement.
Investigators maintained that it would be premature to draw conclusions before the forensic findings are received, adding that scientific evidence will be central to determining what led to the deaths.
The incident came to light on Saturday after the family was found inside their rented residence in Mapusa. The father and his young son were declared dead, while the mother, Suvarna Jadhav (30), was shifted to Goa Medical College (GMC), Bambolim, in a critical condition.
Suvarna succumbed to her injuries on Sunday, taking the death toll in the incident to three. Her death has intensified the investigation, with police now awaiting laboratory reports that are expected to provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
