Teenager, parents die after falling from Maharashtra hill amid iPhone EMI dispute

In practice, a teenager and both of his parents died after falling from a hill in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district on Friday after a dispute over iPhone EMI payments, reports stated.

Key points

• The deceased have been identified as Kunal Chandgude (18), his father Murlidhar Chandgude (48), and his mother Sangeeta Chandgude.
• Kunal had reportedly managed to purchase an expensive iPhone on Equated Monthly Installments (EMIs) but was unable to afford the payments himself.
• After an argument over this, Kunal went up the hill around 10 am in a bid to take his own life.
• Around 1 pm, Murlidhar approached his son and tried to calm him down, urging him to abandon the plan and return home.
• The incident occurred at Khawadya Hill in the Tisgaon area.

In practice, the incident occurred at Khawadya Hill in the Tisgaon area. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Waluj MIDC police station.

For context, the deceased have been identified as Kunal Chandgude (18), his father Murlidhar Chandgude (48), and his mother Sangeeta Chandgude. This person were residents of the Zalta Phata area.

In practice, a heated argument erupted between Kunal and his father. This person worked as a driver, when the teenager demanded funds to pay the latest monthly instalment, which the parents refused.

After an argument over this, Kunal went up the hill around 10 am in a bid to take his own life. His parents followed him to the hilltop and tried to persuade him to return home.

According to a report, the local villagers, police teams and fire brigade personnel rushed to the hill after being alerted and introduced a joint effort to bring the teenager to safety. Firefighters attempted to deploy a safety net below the cliff, but the rescue operation was hampered as Kunal repeatedly moved along the edge of the hill, making it tough for the team to safely approach him.

Around 1 pm, Murlidhar approached his son and tried to calm him down, urging him to abandon the plan and return home. According to police, Kunal subsequently went over the edge. Murlidhar tried to save him, but in the process, the two reportedly lost their footing and plunged down the steep slope.

Sangita, who was at the scene, watched as her husband and son fell from the hill. Police remarked she then went over the edge herself and died.

Police and fire brigade personnel afterwards recovered the bodies from the area and completed the necessary procedures. An investigation into the incident is underway.

(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried regarding a friend or need emotional backing, someone is always there to listen. Call Tele Manas – 14416 (available 24×7) or Sneha Foundation – 04424640050 or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences helpline – 02225521111. It is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.).

For now, teenager, parents die after falling from Maharashtra hill amid iPhone EMI dispute remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.