Mumbai | ENewsxpress Desk
What Happened
A family dispute over a mobile phone ended in tragedy in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district on Friday, when three members of the same family died in a hilltop incident. The deceased have been identified as 48-year-old Murlidhar Chandgude, his wife Sangita, and their son Kunal (reported by different outlets as either 18 or 19 years old), residents of the Zalta Phata area of the city.
According to police, the sequence of events began around 10 am after an argument between Kunal and his parents over his demand for a new mobile phone — with some reports specifically citing a dispute over an iPhone and its EMI payments. Reports indicate the family was under financial strain, with Murlidhar working as a driver and reportedly the household’s sole earning member.
Upset following the argument, Kunal went to Khavda Hill in the Tisgaon area, under the jurisdiction of Waluj MIDC police station, and stood near the edge, repeatedly threatening to jump. Concerned for his safety, his parents followed him to the hilltop in an attempt to persuade him to come down.
A Prolonged, Painful Standoff
What followed was an anguished, roughly three-hour effort by the family, local villagers and police personnel to talk Kunal down from the edge. An eyewitness, Sanjay Jadhav, told NDTV that the parents and others present tried hard to reason with him. “The mother kept pleading with him not to jump,” Jadhav said, though Kunal did not relent and remained standing at the edge throughout.
Police and fire brigade teams also arrived at the scene and made repeated attempts to help, including deploying a safety net below the cliff and trying to convince Kunal to abandon his plan.
How the Tragedy Unfolded
The standoff came to a devastating end around 1 pm, when Murlidhar reportedly reached his son and tried to pull him back from the edge. In the process, both lost their balance and fell from the cliff, which police described as roughly 400–500 feet high. Sangita, who witnessed her husband and son fall, jumped from the hill moments later. All three died at the scene.
A senior police official, quoted by India TV, called it a devastating tragedy, adding: “Their whole family has been ruined over a phone.”
The incident was witnessed by several locals and tourists present at the site, some of whom recorded parts of it on their phones, and visuals of the incident have since circulated on social media.
Police Investigation
Police have registered a case and recovered the bodies, which were sent for post-mortem examination. Officials say they are examining the precise sequence of events — including how each family member came to fall, and whether the falls occurred in immediate succession or with some gap between them — based on statements from eyewitnesses and those involved in the rescue effort.
A Wider Concern
The tragedy has left residents of the area in shock, with what began as an argument inside the family home ending in the deaths of all three members. It also adds to a pattern of incidents reported in India in recent years where disputes over mobile phones — often tied to financial pressure or a young person’s emotional distress — have escalated into devastating outcomes for families.
Note:This article is based on available news reports. This is a sensitive topic involving suicide and family loss. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please reach out to a trusted person or a mental health professional, or contact a helpline such as iCall (9152987821) or the Kiran Mental Health Helpline (1800-599-0019) in India.
