What began as an argument over an iPhone at a home in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar turned into a nearly three-hour ordeal on Friday, as a 19-year-old stood at the edge of a hill while his family and villagers desperately tried to bring him back.
The teenager, identified as Kunal Chandgude and a resident of the Devlai area, reached the hill at around 10 am on Friday following an argument with his father, Murlidhar Chandgude, over payment for the phone. He refused to come down despite repeated pleas from his parents, the village sarpanch and other villagers.
For nearly three hours, those at the spot tried to persuade the teenager to move away from the edge. They comforted him, made promises and told him they would get him whatever he wanted, but their efforts failed.
“Ae bhai, main gaon ka sarpanch hoon. Chal! Arre kuch bhi… pagal… chal chal, jo chahiye wo laakar denge. Gaon mein… chal (Come on! Hey, whatever it is… you’re being crazy… come on, we’ll get you whatever you want. Back in the village… just come down.)"
When the teenager still refused to move, the sarpanch made another emotional appeal.
“Kya yahi samadhan hai ab? Koi samadhan nahi hai, tujhe kya lagta hai? Par tumhare koodne se kiska… kya bahut bada naam hone wala hai tumhara? Maa ke liye jee lo na! (What will you achieve by jumping? Please, live for your mother’s sake!)", NDTV reported.
The teenager replied, “No, I have to die. That remains the only way."
His father had been appealing to him from below for most of the ordeal. However, during the final 15 to 20 minutes, as the situation became more desperate, he climbed to the hilltop and attempted to bring his son back.
Police officers at the scene also tried to reason with the teenager, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
At around 1 pm, the teenager moved closer to the edge, and his father tried to pull him back. The two lost their balance and fell from the hill.
Moments later, the teenager’s mother, who had been watching the incident in panic, also fell from the hill.
All three members of the family died.
