Eighteen-year-old Kunal Chandgude purchased an Apple iPhone on EMI, but when he was unable to pay the monthly instalments, he sought his parents' help. This became the genesis of a domestic dispute resulting in the death of a family of three in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on August 21. This was the narrative shared when Kunal, threatening to jump off a hill, fell into a 250-foot-deep gorge along with his father, who was trying to bring him down. Scared by the chain of events, his mother, Sangita, jumped off the cliff. However, the iPhone EMI issue may not be the sole trigger.
Sangita's sister, Pallavi Patil, has described the iPhone narrative as a "rumour", claiming that people spreading such tales "know nothing".
Patil was returning home after collecting ashes of her sister, nephew, and brother-in-law Murlidhar, when she recorded a video message, expressing what her family is going through.
"Sangita Chandgude, Kunal Chandgude, and Murlidhar Chandgude... they were none other than... my elder sister, my sister's son, and my brother-in-law. Only we know the state we are in after losing the three of them today," she said.
Also Read | Begging, Pleading, Prostrating: Mother's Desperate Attempts To Stop Suicidal Teen
Addressing the claim that Kunal drove his parents to death over an iPhone EMI, Patil urged people to "not spread rumours".
"The things you are saying are causing us immense pain," she added.
Patil said that her social media feed is full of videos peddling a false narrative around the death of the family.
"You have expressed your opinions through these videos, but you know nothing. You don't know us, and you are unaware of the truth behind any of this. And yet you continue to spread a false narrative. Do you realise how much pain these videos are causing my parents?" she asked.
Patil said Sangita was the eldest of her parents' four children. She urged people to think of the family that has been left behind before making any video.
"We are not in a state of mind to figure out how to move forward and how to hold ourselves together... we are unable to cope. Before saying anything, remember, my parents are 75 years old, and they would not be able to bear the shock of such words," she pleaded with folded hands.
Parents' Strained Relationships Might Have Been The Trigger
Murlidhar was a truck driver, while Sangita was a homemaker. The couple lost their elder son six years ago to an illness. According to sources, the death of their son led to a family dispute, and the two started living separately.
Murlidhar immersed himself in work and would reportedly not come home for several months at a stretch.
After being out of town for the past three months, Murlidhar had returned home two days before the incident, triggering fights.
As the probe into the deaths intensifies, police have found a video of Sangita that points to a strained relationship.
"You denied me and my son our rightful due for the sake of property. You never allowed brothers to unite, nor did you let parents and children stay together. You destroyed my happy, thriving family," Sangita is heard saying in a viral video. Without taking any names or giving context, she added, "The poison you injected into my family... the way you drove my son away from his parents... this sin of yours... seven generations to come will pay for it. This is my curse."
Police are trying to decipher the post and its hidden meaning.
Sangita's YouTube Channel Under Scanner
Sangita was an active YouTuber with over 29,000 subscribers and frequently posted videos featuring her son.
A day before the tragic incident, Sangita had posted a video on relationships and their values.
"Be ready to give your fate but to that person who values you, who values your love. If a person does not value you, does not value your love, or does not value what you do for them, then there is no point in doing anything for such a person," she said in Marathi in a one-minute video.
Also Read | 'You Ruined My Family': Teen's Mother's Old Video Surfaces After Hill Tragedy
Equating relationships with a chapati, she said they work best when both people value them.
"It is the same with relationships. If it is going on from both sides, if both are valuing it, then stay in such a relation. Otherwise, if one person is valuing it and the other is not, then such a relation has no meaning. It is always better to get out of such a relationship," she said.
Kunal Tried To Die By Suicide Last Year From Same Cliff
According to police sources, Kunal had visited the same hill a year ago with the intention of dying by suicide. Back then, police managed to convince him to abandon his plan and bring him down safely.
(With inputs from Mohsin Sheikh)
| Helplines | |
|---|---|
| Vandrevala Foundation for Mental Health | 9999666555 or help@vandrevalafoundation.com |
| TISS iCall | 022-25521111 (Monday-Saturday: 8 am to 10 pm) |
| (If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.) | |
