Recently, a tragedy occurred in Maharashtra, India, where the lives of a family of three were lost due to a dispute over an ordinary iPhone.
On the afternoon of August 21, a tragedy occurred at the notorious Kavdia Hill, known for its frequent accidents and dangerous cliffs. Nineteen-year-old Kunwar Chandgude, after failing to get his parents to buy him a new mobile phone, climbed to the edge of the cliff alone and threatened to jump. His father spent about three hours trying to dissuade him. When the father finally stepped forward to pull him back, he accidentally fell with his son. The mother, who had arrived on the scene, witnessed the entire fall and, overwhelmed with emotion, jumped from the same spot. All three family members ultimately lost their lives.
According to details released by local police and mainstream media, the trigger for the incident was around 10:00 AM that day, when Kunwar directly asked his parents to buy him the latest iPhone model. Unable to afford such an expensive item, his parents refused his request, leading to a fierce argument.
Completely losing control of his emotions, Kunwar ran out of the house and climbed alone to the steepest edge of Kavdia Hill. Standing on the unprotected cliff edge, he repeatedly threatened that if his parents did not buy him the desired phone, he would jump immediately.
This mountain is adjacent to the Dule-Solapur National Highway. Below the cliff lies an abandoned deep stone quarry with a significant drop. The bottom is filled with jagged, sharp rocks. It has long been designated as a high-risk restricted area by locals, and few people actively approach the cliff edge.
Upon receiving the news, Kunwar's father, Murlidhar Chandgude, and his mother, Sangita Chandgude, rushed to the scene. Many nearby villagers also followed to help persuade him.
Local village head Sanjay Jadhav later recalled that Kunwar's mother kept crying and repeatedly begged her son to move to a safe area. Villagers took turns trying to persuade him, and some even offered to buy him a mobile phone out of their own pockets. However, Kunwar remained on the edge of the cliff, moving back and forth, refusing to accept anyone's kindness or leave the dangerous zone.
Police and fire rescue personnel who received the alarm quickly arrived at the scene. Firefighters originally planned to set up a large safety net below the cliff to catch anyone who might fall. However, because Kunwar kept changing his position along the edge, the safety net could not be accurately positioned under his feet, rendering it ineffective.
This standoff lasted for about three hours. For the first part, Kunwar's father stayed below the cliff, shouting words of persuasion from a distance. In the final 15 to 20 minutes, unable to bear it any longer, he climbed up the cliff himself, attempting to get close to his son and guide him back to safety.
Around 1:00 PM, Murlidhar felt he had found an opportunity. He planned to calm his agitated son and then pull him back to safety.
According to the police's on-site investigation conclusions, either Kunwar jumped off the cliff voluntarily, or he lost his balance and fell. In the heat of the moment, his father instinctively reached out to grab his son but slipped and lost his footing as well. Both father and son fell directly into the deep quarry below.
Sangita, standing nearby, witnessed her husband and son fall one after another. Overcome with shock and grief, she did not think to call for help or seek assistance. Instead, she jumped from the same spot where her husband and son had fallen. All three died instantly. It took local police and arriving villagers several hours to recover their bodies from the bottom of the deep quarry.
The local police's follow-up investigation is still ongoing, focusing on fully confirming all details of the family dispute and the specific circumstances at the scene.
Due to its steep and treacherous terrain, Kavdia Hill has seen multiple suicides and accidental falls over the years. Local residents had previously urged management departments to install protective facilities along the cliff edges, improve warning signs, and enhance overall safety measures, but these appeals received insufficient attention.
Following this tragic incident where a family of three fell from the cliff, local residents and relevant departments have once again called for immediate comprehensive protective renovations of this dangerous hillside to prevent similar tragedies in the future.