Fresh and startling disclosures continue to surface regarding the tragic deaths of three members of a single family at the Khawdya hill in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra. Police investigations have now revealed that 18-year-old Kunal Chhangude had allegedly attempted to take his own life from this exact same location back in 2025. Following this crucial lead, authorities are now rigorously probing whether an argument with his father over an iPhone EMI was the sole trigger for this fatal incident or if deeper underlying factors were at play.
The heartbreaking event unfolded on Friday morning at the Khawda hill. According to the police, Kunal had a dispute with his father, Murlidhar Chhangude, over an undisclosed matter. Following the altercation, Kunal made his way to the hill and stationed himself near the edge of a sheer 400 to 500-foot-deep ravine.
Reports indicate that Kunal arrived at the hill at around 10 am on Friday. For nearly three hours, he remained perched precariously by the precipice. Family members, local villagers, police personnel, and fire brigade officials all made earnest attempts to talk him down and guide him back to safety, but he remained adamant and refused to listen to anyone.
The most poignant aspect of the incident was that Kunal's mother, Sangeeta, continuously pleaded with him to return to safety. She kept talking to her son, urging him to step back from the edge of the cliff. Meanwhile, rescue teams also attempted to deploy safety nets below.
However, Kunal kept shifting his position repeatedly, which compounded the challenges of an already difficult rescue operation. Spectators at the scene continuously tried to reason with him. The family desperately hoped that Kunal would somehow be brought back safely, but the situation rapidly deteriorated.
Parents Lose Their Lives During Rescue Attempt
According to police, Kunal's parents had climbed the hill in a desperate bid to save him. In a horrifying sequence of events, father Murlidhar lost his footing and plunged into the ravine. Subsequently, in an agonizing attempt to save both her husband and her son, mother Sangeeta also fell into the gorge. Within moments, three members of the Chhangude family perished, sending shockwaves through the entire region.
The case took a significant turn when law enforcement authorities discovered that Kunal had made a similar suicide attempt from the very same spot in 2025. Armed with this information, the scope of the investigation has widened significantly. Police are now attempting to ascertain whether the alleged dispute over the iPhone EMI between Kunal and his father was substantial enough to drive him to this extreme step, or if other personal, familial, or psychological pressures were involved.
Currently, the police are examining all potential angles. The circumstances surrounding the previous attempt and Kunal's mental state during that period have also been incorporated into the ongoing probe.
The tragedy at Khawda hill is no longer viewed merely as an isolated domestic dispute, but rather as a complex puzzle for investigators trying to determine why the 18-year-old was repeatedly drawn toward such a fatal path. A comprehensive picture of this tragedy is expected to emerge only after the police conclude their thorough investigation.
