Son jumps off cliff over unpaid iPhone EMIs, parents follow
What's the story
An 18-year-old boy, Kunal, and his parents died after a standoff on a hill in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Friday. According to reports, the tragedy stemmed from a family dispute over unpaid iPhone EMIs. Before the tragedy, Kunal stood on the edge of the cliff for three hours, with his father, Murlidhar Chandgude, and bystanders persuading him to come down. "The family was caught between the son's desire and its financial limitations," police inspector Rameshwar Gade said.
Witness
'Live for your mother'
Sanjay Jadhav, a former Sarpanch of Tisgaon village, was one of those who attempted to reason with the teen. Others promised him an iPhone 15 Pro.
"We pleaded with him a lot that he should look at his mother....that he was educated and had a future ahead of him. We made every appeal we could," Jadhav said.
Another bystander was heard saying, "Live for your mother," to which he replied, "No, I have to die. That remains the only way."
Dispute details
Family dispute escalates into tragic standoff
The family dispute started when Kunal bought an iPhone but couldn't pay the EMIs. This led to a heated argument with his father over the latest payment.
After this, Kunal left home and climbed a hill in the Tisgaon area around 10:00am.
His parents followed him and spent nearly three hours trying to persuade him not to jump off the cliff.
Villagers, police personnel and fire brigade officials also reached the spot, but no safety net was set up.
Persuasion efforts
All 3 die on the spot
However, Kunal kept changing his position along the cliff edge.
Around 1:00pm Kunal's father tried to pull him back from the edge, but both lost balance and fell into the gorge.
Witnessing this, Sangeeta jumped after them. All three died on the spot.
Their bodies were recovered by police and sent for post-mortem examination. A case has been registered and further legal proceedings are underway.