New Delhi: Whatsapp told the Delhi High Court on Friday that till the data protection bill comes into force, it would not compel users to opt for its new privacy policy as it has been put on hold.

Whatsapp also clarified before bench of Chief justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh that it would not limit the functionality for users who are not opting for new privacy policy in the meantime.

Appearing for the instant messaging platform, Senior Advocate Harish Salve said, "We voluntarily agreed to put it (the policy) on hold... we will not compel people to accept."

Salve said that Whatsapp would nonetheless continue to display the update to its users.

The court is hearing the appeals of Facebook and its firm WhatsApp against the single-judge order refusing to stop the competition regulator CCI's order directing a probe into WhatsApp's new privacy policy.

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Mumbai (PTI): Four members of a family in Pydhonie area of south Mumbai died last month due to rat poison, police officials said on Thursday.

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

"The watermelon sample also tested positive for zinc phosphide, while all other food items were negative. The report will be studied in depth. We will consult forensic doctors. Further probe in the case is underway," the DCP said.

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

"The forensic experts who examined the viscera of deceased Abdulla Dokadia, Nasrin (35), Aayesha (16) and Zaineb (13) found traces of zinc phosphide. It is, however, unclear whether the rat poison was consumed accidentally (or on purpose). So far, we have found no strong reason why the whole family would take such an extreme step," another official said.

Further probe is being conducted by the JJ Marg police station, which has recorded statements of kin and neighbours, he added.

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 1 am, 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 J J Hospital where all four died during treatment.