iPhone EMI dispute turns deadly as teen, parents fall from Maharashtra hill

An argument over an iPhone EMI payment ended in a devastating tragedy in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where an 18-year-old and his parents died after a standoff on a hill in Tisgaon.

Police said the teenager, Kunal, had bought an iPhone but was struggling to pay the instalments. A disagreement with his father over the latest EMI reportedly prompted him to leave home and climb the hill on Friday morning.

Three-hour effort to stop teenager

Kunal reached the hill in the Tisgaon area, which falls under the Waluj MIDC Police Station limits, at around 10 am. His parents followed him, while local residents also joined efforts to persuade him to return.

The teenager remained at the spot for nearly three hours as people tried to talk him down. Parts of the incident were recorded on mobile phones, with a video showing people making repeated appeals to Kunal.

"Live for your mother," a man told him as he threatened to jump, reported NDTV. Kunal replied, "No, I have to die. That remains the only way."

Sanjay Jadhav, a former sarpanch of Tisgaon village, was among those who tried to reason with him. According to Jadhav, some people even offered to arrange an iPhone 15 Pro in an attempt to convince Kunal to step away from the edge.

"We pleaded with him a lot, that he should look at his mother, that he shouldn't jump, that he was educated and had a future ahead of him. We made every appeal we could," Jadhav told NDTV.

Father falls while trying to save him

Police said Kunal's father, Murlidhar Chandgude, eventually climbed up to his son and tried to pull him away from the edge. During the attempt, both lost their balance and fell into the gorge.

Sangeeta, Kunal's mother, witnessed the fall. She then jumped from the hill, police said.

All three died at the spot. Their bodies were recovered and sent for post-mortem examination.

Police probe underway

Officials said a case has been registered and further legal proceedings are underway. Police have not provided additional details about the family dispute or confirmed whether Kunal had been dealing with depression, as was reported initially.

The incident drew several local residents and tourists to the site, while videos of the standoff circulated online.