Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, August 23: iPhone EMI Dispute Turns Fatal, a dispute over unpaid instalments on a newly purchased iPhone ended in the deaths of an entire family in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, after an 18-year-old and both his parents fell from a hilltop during a failed rescue attempt on Friday, August 21.
The deceased have been identified as Kunal Chandgude, 18, his father Murlidhar Chandgude, 48, and his mother Sangita Chandgude, residents of the Zalta Phata area. The incident occurred at Khavdya Hill, also referred to in local reports as Khavdya Dongar, in the Tisgaon area, within the jurisdiction of Waluj MIDC police station.
According to police, Kunal had purchased an iPhone on EMI but was unable to keep up with the monthly payments. When he approached his father for money to clear the latest instalment, an argument broke out at home. Murlidhar, who worked as a driver and was the family’s sole earning member, said he could not afford the payment due to financial constraints.
Upset by the refusal, Kunal left home around 10 am and climbed to a cliff edge on Khavdya Hill, reportedly threatening to take his own life. His parents, learning of his intentions, followed him to the hilltop in an attempt to bring him back safely.
What followed was a tense, nearly three-hour standoff. Police personnel, fire brigade teams, and local residents gathered at the site to try to talk Kunal down. According to Tisgaon Sarpanch Sanjay Jadhav, villagers repeatedly urged him to think of his mother and reconsider, with some even offering to buy him a new phone. A safety net was deployed below the cliff as a precaution, but Kunal continued to shift position along the edge.
Around 1 pm, Murlidhar moved closer to his son in a final attempt to pull him to safety. Police said that as Kunal jumped, his father tried to grab him, but the two lost their balance and fell together into the gorge below. Sangita, who witnessed the fall, jumped from the hill moments later. All three died on impact; the cliff has been described by officials as roughly 400 to 500 feet high.
The bodies were recovered and sent for post-mortem examination. Police have registered a case and an investigation is underway. Officials have not officially confirmed reports suggesting Kunal may have had an underlying mental health condition, and such claims are being treated with caution pending formal findings.
The tragedy has drawn widespread attention online, reviving conversation around the pressures of consumer debt among young people in India. Industry data has previously shown that smartphones and similar lifestyle products are among the leading drivers of small-ticket consumer loans in the country, a trend that has made premium devices more accessible on credit, and in cases like this one, a source of severe financial and emotional strain within families.
The Voice Of Sikkim will continue to follow this developing story.
