A 19-year-old man died after a family argument over a mobile phone, while his parents also fell to their deaths during a desperate rescue attempt in Maharashtra
A family iPhone dispute in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, on Friday, August 21, 2026, ended in the deaths of 19-year-old Kunal Chandgude and his parents, Murlidhar Chandgude, 48, and Sangita Chandgude, after a three-hour effort to prevent the young man from taking his own life ended in a fatal fall. (The Print)
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Police said Kunal had gone to Khavdya Dongar hill near Tisgaon following an argument with his parents over a mobile phone. His family, villagers, police officers and fire brigade personnel spent hours trying to persuade him to return to safety. (The Print)
According to investigators and local reports, the dispute was linked to Kunal’s demand for an expensive iPhone.
Some reports said he had already bought an iPhone and was seeking money from his family to meet instalment payments, although accounts of the precise circumstances differ. (NDTV)
Kunal reached the hill at about 10am and remained there as relatives and residents attempted to talk him down.
Firefighters also positioned a safety net below the area, but the rescue effort became increasingly difficult as the teenager moved around the steep hillside. (The Times of India)
For nearly three hours, his mother and other people at the scene appealed to him to reconsider.
Tisgaon village head Sanjay Jadhav, who participated in the effort, said the rescuers tried various ways to persuade Kunal to come down.
At one point, Jadhav reportedly offered to buy him an iPhone in an attempt to change his mind. (The Times of India)
“We kept telling him to think of his mother and not take such a step,” Jadhav said. (The Times of India)
The situation took a devastating turn shortly after 1pm when Murlidhar moved towards his son in an attempt to bring him back to safety.
Police said Kunal moved over the edge, prompting his father to try to catch him. The two lost their balance and fell from the hillside, dying in the incident. (The Times of India)
Sangita then witnessed her husband and son fall. Police said she subsequently went over the hillside and also died.
The three bodies were recovered from the difficult terrain and taken for post-mortem examinations, while police began recording statements from witnesses to establish the precise sequence of events. (The Print)
Police Commissioner Pravin Pawar said investigators were working to establish exactly how the tragedy unfolded.
“We are trying to establish the exact sequence of events,” Pawar said. (The Times of India)
The Chandgude family reportedly lived in the Zalta Phata area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, while relatives were said to be from Dhangar Pimpalgaon village in neighbouring Jalna district. (The Print)
The incident has shocked residents of the area, particularly because an intervention involving family members, villagers, police and emergency responders had continued for several hours before the situation deteriorated.
The tragedy also highlights the potentially devastating consequences of acute emotional distress following family disputes.
Mental health professionals generally advise that a person expressing suicidal intentions should not be confronted or left alone, and that trained emergency responders should be involved as quickly as possible.
While reports have focused on the iPhone dispute, authorities have not suggested that the cost of a phone alone explains Kunal’s actions.
The circumstances surrounding his emotional state and the events before he went to the hill remain part of the investigation.
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What began as a disagreement within a family therefore ended in an extraordinary and heartbreaking loss, with three members of the same household dying in the space of a few minutes after hours of attempts to avert the tragedy.
Oreoluwa is an accountant and a brand writer with a flair for journalism.
