A 19-year-old teenager and his parents have died after an alleged dispute over an iPhone ended with the family falling from a 250 ft cliff in India. Kunal Chandude is believed to have travelled to Khawadya Hill in Tisgaon, near Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, after an argument with his parents over money owed on a new phone.
His parents, Murlidhar, 48, and Sangita, followed him because they were worried about his safety. Kunal reportedly remained near the cliff edge for around three hours while his parents, police, firefighters and local villagers tried to persuade him to move away.
Firefighters even placed a net below him in an attempt to catch him, but he continued moving along the edge. At around 1 pm, his father approached him in an attempt to pull him away. Kunal then fell, with his father also plunging from the cliff as he tried to save him. Sangita fell shortly afterwards.
The Dispute Was Over An iPhone
Kunal reportedly bought a new iPhone on the understanding that he would pay for it through monthly instalments. He was allegedly unable to afford the ongoing payments and approached his father for money to cover the latest bill, according to initial police reports.
Murlidhar, who worked as a taxi driver, reportedly refused to give his son the money. After the disagreement, Kunal travelled to Khawadya Hill at around 10am on Friday.
His mother and father went after him, concerned about what he might do. Police and local villagers also became involved as Kunal remained close to the cliff edge.
Videos shared online reportedly show large crowds trying to persuade the teenager to move away from the edge. His mother can also be seen dropping to her knees as she pleaded with her son.
Firefighters attempted to prepare for the possibility that Kunal might fall, positioning a safety net below him. However, he continued moving along the cliff edge and remained beyond its reach.
The situation continued for approximately three hours before Murlidhar moved closer to his son.
Parents Also Plunge From Cliff
According to The Indian Express, Murlidhar approached Kunal while attempting to de-escalate the situation and pull him away from the edge. Kunal then fell from the cliff.
Police said Murlidhar also fell while trying to save his son. However, reports have also suggested that he may have been pulled down during the struggle.
Sangita witnessed the incident from the top of the cliff before falling shortly afterwards. Officials suggested that she jumped.
District Collector and Magistrate Vinay Gowda reportedly said: 'The boy fell from the cliff and holding on to his father's hand, pulled him down with him.'
The incident has since been investigated by authorities, and the bodies were returned to the family following post-mortems.
Sangita had 29,000 followers on her YouTube channel, where she shared motivational content. A day before the incident, she reportedly posted a message about giving one's efforts only to people who value them.
She said: 'Be ready to give your fate but to that person who values you, who values your love. If a person does not value you, does not value your love, or does not value what you do for them, then there is no point in doing anything for such a person.'
An investigation remains open into the circumstances surrounding the three deaths.
