A dispute over an iPhone EMI payment ended in an unimaginable tragedy in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district on Friday, August 21, after a teenager and both his parents died in a fall from a hill.
Police said Kunal Chandgude, 18, had bought an iPhone but was struggling to pay its instalments. A heated argument with his father over the latest EMI reportedly left him angry, after which he went to Khavlya Hill in the Tisgaon area, within the Waluj MIDC police station limits.
What followed was a nearly three-hour standoff that ended with the death of the entire family.
Three-hour attempt to save Kunal
Kunal reached the hill at around 10 am and stood near a dangerous cliff edge. His parents, Murlidhar and Sangeeta Chandgude, followed him after learning that he was threatening to take his own life. Residents, police and fire brigade personnel also joined the effort to bring him back safely.
Among those trying to persuade him was Sanjay Jadhav, a former sarpanch of Tisgaon. According to Jadhav, people repeatedly appealed to Kunal to think about his parents and his future. Some even offered to arrange an iPhone for him.
A video from the scene shows people pleading with Kunal to step away from the edge. He reportedly remained adamant that he had no other option.
Fire personnel also attempted to prepare a safety net below the hill, but Kunal kept moving along the edge, making a rescue difficult.
Father tries to pull son back
The standoff continued for hours. At around 1 pm, Kunal’s father managed to get close enough to try to pull him away from the edge.
But the attempt went tragically wrong.
Kunal fell from the cliff, and Murlidhar, who was trying to save him, also lost his balance. Both plunged into the gorge below and died.
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— BSN (@Barristerstreet) August 21, 2026
A couple and their 19-year-old son have died after falling from a hill in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district while the parents were reportedly trying to stop their son from taking his own life.
Police said the teenager, identified as Kunal Murlidhar Chandgude,… https://t.co/edrVOjyzwk pic.twitter.com/vnQSZn4WII
Sangeeta witnessed her husband and son fall. Moments later, she too jumped from the hill and died.
The three bodies were subsequently recovered and sent for post-mortem examination. Police have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
What led to the tragedy?
Police have linked the immediate trigger to a dispute over the teenager’s iPhone instalments. According to officials, Kunal had been asking his family for money to meet the EMI payments, and an argument with his father over the latest payment preceded his decision to leave home and climb the hill.
However, police have not publicly established whether financial stress alone explains the teenager’s actions or whether other factors were involved. Reports suggesting a particular mental-health condition should therefore be treated cautiously unless confirmed by investigators or the family.
The incident has also raised questions about how difficult such high-risk rescue situations can become. Despite the presence of police, firefighters and local residents, Kunal remained close to the cliff edge for several hours, repeatedly moving away from attempts to reach him.
