iPhone, Family Dispute May Have Driven 19-Year-Old To Fatal Cliff Jump In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The desire to own an Apple iPhone may not have been the only factor that led 19-year-old Kunal Chandgude to jump from a cliff in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar last week. Sources said tensions within the family, which reportedly emerged after the death of Kunal’s elder brother and amid strained relations between his parents, may have also contributed to the tragedy.

The incident was reportedly Kunal’s second suicide attempt at the same location. He had tried to end his life there last year as well, but police officers managed to persuade him to abandon the attempt. Their efforts were unsuccessful this time.

Kunal’s father, Murlidhar, fell into the 250-foot-deep gorge while attempting to save his son. His mother, Sangeeta, subsequently jumped into the gorge after witnessing the incident. All three died at the spot.

According to sources, tensions in the family began after the couple lost their elder son to an illness six years ago. Murlidhar, who worked as a driver, reportedly immersed himself in his work and would remain away from home for several months at a time.

He returned home two days before the incident, following which arguments reportedly broke out within the family.

Police said Kunal had purchased an iPhone but was unable to pay its instalments. An argument reportedly followed between him and his father, after which Kunal left for the cliff at around 10 am.

The hours before the tragedy

Videos recorded at the scene showed Kunal standing close to the edge of the cliff while his mother desperately tried to convince him to step back. She reportedly approached him to pull him away before moving back to avoid startling him and causing him to lose his balance.

Both parents pleaded with Kunal to reconsider and assured him that they would help resolve whatever difficulties he was facing.

However, Kunal refused to move.

"Mom, no one listens to me. I have no interest in living. There is no solution for my life; nothing is going to get better," Kunal told them.

Several people who had gathered at the spot also tried to persuade him to step away, with some even offering to buy him an iPhone.

The situation continued for hours before Murlidhar eventually reached out and grabbed Kunal’s hand in an attempt to pull him to safety. The two reportedly lost their balance and fell into the gorge, dying in the fall.

Sangeeta, unable to cope with the shock of seeing her husband and son fall, then jumped into the gorge and died by suicide.

Cryptic post points to family tensions

Sangeeta Chandgude’s social media activity has also pointed towards possible tensions within the family. She reportedly ran a YouTube channel with more than 29,000 subscribers.

In a recent video, she said:

"You took away my and my son's rights over property. You never allowed brothers and parents to unite. You destroyed my happy family. You poisoned my family... You separated my son from his parents. This sin... your next seven generations will suffer. This is my curse,"

Police are investigating the identity of the person Sangeeta was referring to and the circumstances surrounding the alleged family dispute.

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