Tragedy in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Family Perishes After Dispute Over iPhone EMIs

CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR – A routine family dispute over financial obligations escalated into a harrowing tragedy this week, as three members of a single family lost their lives in a fall from a cliff in the Tisgaon area of Maharashtra.

The incident, which took place on Friday, began when 18-year-old Kunal Chandgude climbed a hill following a heated argument with his parents. According to police reports, the conflict centered on the teenager’s inability to keep up with the installments for a recently purchased iPhone.

The situation quickly turned into a high-stakes standoff as the teenager threatened to jump from the edge of the hill. His parents, Murlidhar and Sangeeta Chandgude, followed him to the site, joined by local residents and officials who spent nearly three hours pleading with the teenager to step back from the brink.

Viral footage of the incident captured the desperate attempts by bystanders to talk the youth down. One man is heard imploring, "Live for your mother," to which the teenager reportedly replied, "No, I have to die. That remains the only way." Despite offers from locals to help cover the costs of his phone, the youth remained inconsolable and firm in his resolve.

The standoff reached a devastating climax around 1 pm. As Murlidhar Chandgude climbed up to the ledge to physically pull his son to safety, both lost their balance and plummeted into the gorge below. Witnesses reported that in a state of immediate, profound shock, the mother, Sangeeta, jumped after them. All three individuals died on the spot.

Local authorities, including the Waluj MIDC police, have since registered a case and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. While some reports suggest the teenager may have been grappling with underlying mental health struggles, police have yet to confirm the full details of the family’s situation or what drove such a sudden, irrevocable choice.

As the community reels from the loss, many are questioning the circumstances that led to such a profound tragedy, specifically highlighting the role of mounting pressure regarding the iPhone EMI, which served as the catalyst for the fatal confrontation. The bodies of the deceased have been moved for post-mortem examinations as the investigation continues.