Was the Maharashtra Cliff Tragedy Result of iPhone Dispute? Victims' Relative, Police Reveal 'Real Reason'
Police and family clarified that a family dispute - not iPhone rumours - led to the tragic deaths of 19-year-old Kunal Chandgude and his parents at Khuvadiya Hill in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after a failed rescue. Meanwhile, police are looking into the specific nature of the family conflict to close the investigation.
A tragic incident in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, which resulted in the deaths of a 19-year-old student, Kunal Chandgude, and both of his parents, continues to draw widespread attention. While initial social media speculation linked the event to mobile phone instalments and emotional blackmail, police investigations and statements from family members have revealed deeper underlying domestic tensions.
The sequence of events at Khuvadiya Hill in the Tisgaon area prompted a multi-agency response involving local authorities, emergency services, and relatives who attempted to manage the situation for hours before the fatal escalation. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Teen Falls From Khavda Hill, Parents Die While Trying To Save Him (Disturbing Videos).
Real Reason Behind Maharashtra Cliff Tragedy Revealed
🚨🚨Kunal didn't suicide due to Iphone but he just wanted his parents to live together & he went to cliff edge just to take promise from his parents that they will live together with him!
He was stressed coz his father left the home but his father didn't convince.
They were not… pic.twitter.com/VV4xx3Y6C1
— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) August 24, 2026
Standoff at Khuvadiya Hill
According to local police reports, 19-year-old Kunal Chandgude reached the edge of the hill following escalating disputes between his parents. Distressed by the family discord, the teenager went to the location with the intention of taking his life. Emergency responders, firefighters, and family members arrived at the scene shortly after to negotiate with the youth. Despite hours of rescue efforts, the situation turned critical during attempts to pull him back from the precipice, resulting in a fall that claimed the lives of all three family members.
Kunal's Masi Speaks About the Incident
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Clarifying the Triggers: Statements from Family
Addressing widespread rumours circulating on social media regarding mobile phone purchases, investigators and family members clarified that financial obligations related to devices were not the core catalyst. Speaking to reporters, Kunal's masi (maternal aunt) explained the underlying emotional context of the situation, noting that the young student was deeply affected by the separation of his parents and wanted his family to live together.
Kunal’s mother Sangeeta's sister, Pallavi Patil, said that videos claiming that Kunal forced his parents to die by suicide because he did not get an iPhone were circulating widely on social media. "Why are you spreading lies without any information?” Patil said. She also said that people who did not know the family or the circumstances surrounding the tragedy were making videos only for views and likes. "Sangita was my elder sister, Kunal was my nephew and Murlidhar was my brother-in-law. Only we know what a mountain has fallen on our family after losing these three,” she said, reports Times of India. She refuted claims that the deaths occurred due to iPhone EMIs.
Meanwhile, DCP, Zone-2, Pankaj Atulkar, said that the household had been under significant stress for the past few months, reports ANI. "Preliminary investigations reveal that there was a family dispute, which had created an atmosphere of stress in the household over the past two or three months. Distressed by this situation, the young man attempted suicide on August 21st," he added. Now, the police are looking into the specific nature of the family conflict to close the investigation.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 25, 2026 10:13 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
