Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In a heart-wrenching sequence of events, three members of a family died at Khavdya Dongar in the Tisgaon area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Friday after an 18-year-old youth jumped from a cliff and his parents plunged into the gorge while attempting to rescue him.

Dispute Over Mobile Phone Leads to Crisis

The deceased have been identified as Kunal Muralidhar Chandwade (18), his father Muralidhar Chandwade (48), and his mother Sangeeta Chandwade. The family resided in the Zalta Phata / Devlai-Satara locality. According to local police, the dispute began on Friday morning around 10:00 AM after a domestic argument escalated regarding Kunal's demand for a mobile phone.

Upset by the disagreement, Kunal walked up the steep Khavdya Dongar hill under the jurisdiction of the Waluj MIDC police station and threatened to jump from the edge of the cliff into the deep gorge below.

Three-Hour Standoff and Rescue Efforts

Upon realizing that their son had climbed the dangerous hill, Muralidhar and Sangeeta rushed to the spot. Local villagers, former village heads, police personnel, and the fire brigade arrived shortly after to initiate emergency rescue operations. For nearly three hours, authorities and family members made emotional appeals, urging Kunal to step back from the edge.

Fire department personnel attempted to deploy safety nets beneath the cliff face, but the rugged terrain and the youth's continuous movement along the precipice complicated safety efforts.

Fatal Plunge and Rescue Recovery

Around 1:00 PM, Muralidhar moved closer to his son to reason with him and pull him back to safety. At that moment, Kunal suddenly jumped. While attempting to catch and save his son, Muralidhar lost his footing on the loose rocks and fell into the deep gorge. Both father and son succumbed to catastrophic injuries upon impact.

Witnessing her husband and son fall before her eyes, Sangeeta was overwhelmed by shock and grief and jumped from the hill moments later. Rescue teams recovered the three bodies from the gorge and transferred them to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for post-mortem examinations. The Waluj MIDC police have registered an accidental death report and are conducting further inquiry.