Family dispute, not mobile phone, may have led to Maharashtra hill tragedy, relative says

PTI, August 25, 2026, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Kunal Chandgude, who died after falling from a hill cliff in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar last week, never intended to commit suicide but only wanted to make his father emotional and convince him to return home, his maternal aunt claimed on Monday.

She rejected reports linking the incident to a mobile phone, claiming that the teenager was troubled by the ongoing tensions and misunderstandings between his parents. Being young, she said, he may not have fully understood the complexities of the situation.

The tragedy unfolded in the Tisgaon area on August 21 when three members of the Chandgude family died after a domestic dispute ended in a sequence of fatal falls from a hilltop, according to police.

The deceased were identified as Murlidhar Chandgude (48), his wife Sangita, and their 19-year-old son Kunal, residents of the city’s Zalta Phata area.

Kalyani Dabhade, Sangita’s sister and Kunal’s maternal aunt, said the teenager was deeply upset about the tensions between his parents and wanted his father to return home.

“My brother-in-law (Muralidhar) was a driver, and we accept that. But he doesn’t come from a poor background. He had a farm and earned money,” she told reporters.

Dabhade also rejected reports that the incident was connected to a mobile phone.

“It was not about a phone. Kunal wanted his father to come back home. If he wanted a phone, he could have bought a second-hand one for Rs 20,000-25,000. It was not such an expensive issue,” she said.

Kunal had one phone for his studies, while his mother also had one, she said.

“I do not think Kunal wanted to commit suicide. He only wanted to make his father emotional and convince him to return home,” Dabhade added.

According to her, Kunal was troubled by the continuing tensions and misunderstandings between his parents.

“Kunal and his father spoke five or six days before the incident. He asked his father to come back home. But his father spoke about his own parents and sisters. Kunal was young and probably could not understand all of this. The misunderstandings kept growing, and he was worried,” she said.

Dabhade said she had tried to reassure him that family disagreements were a part of life, but Kunal remained determined to have his father back.

“He never told me that he was planning anything like this, and I never imagined he would do such a thing. I feel it is a sudden incident because his parents loved him so much and there was no financial crisis either. Kunal’s father loved him very much, though he was not staying with him,” she added.

Family accounts emerge as police reconstruct Maharashtra hill tragedy

India Today reported that Murlidhar’s sister, Shobha Rajendra Maske, presented a different picture of the couple’s relationship. She said Murlidhar and Sangeeta had a love marriage around 22 years ago and claimed that Murlidhar’s parents had opposed the marriage and did not attend the wedding. According to Shobha, relations between Murlidhar and his family remained strained after the marriage.

She also referred to differences between Murlidhar and Sangeeta that had continued over the years.

People who knew the family closely, however, said they had not noticed anything unusual in their day-to-day life. Aditya Deshpande, caretaker of the house where the Chandgudes lived, said the family had moved into the rented property around four months ago. He described them as well-behaved and said Kunal generally kept to himself.

Murlidhar’s colleagues also described him as a quiet and disciplined person. Pawan Otambe, manager at Chaudhary Transport, said Murlidhar had worked there as a driver for around 10 years and that no complaint had ever been made against him.

The family accounts have emerged alongside the police and fire brigade’s reconstruction of the final moments. Kunal had left home at around 8 am, reportedly for his classes. When he did not reach the institute by 9.10 am, the institute contacted his mother. His location was traced to the hill between 10 am and 10.30 am, following which villagers alerted police at around 10.45 am.

The fire brigade was called at around 11.30 am. When the team arrived, Kunal was on the hilltop and kept changing his position. Rescuers tried to persuade him to return and placed a safety net below as a precaution.

It was during these efforts that Murlidhar approached his son and tried to grab his hand. The two lost their balance and fell. Sangeeta then jumped moments later, according to police.

A fire brigade employee suffered minor injuries during the operation. The three bodies were brought to Ghati Hospital around 2.30 pm for post-mortem examinations.

The tragedy has left behind not only a grieving extended family but also the family’s pet dog, Sheru, who remained locked inside the house for two days after the deaths. Neighbours provided him with food and water before a pet animal welfare group rescued him.

Sheru has been moved to a municipal shelter for now, with the animal welfare group appealing to a family to adopt him and provide him a permanent home.

The shocking family suicide case in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has taken a fresh turn with videos recorded by 48-year-old Sangita Chandgude coming to light after her death. In one of them, she allegedly accused relatives of mentally harassing her family, creating a rift between her son and his father, and trying to grab their property.

Sangita, who died along with her husband and 18-year-old son after the three fell from a hill in Waluj on Friday, had shared a one-minute video on YouTube on Thursday, a day before the tragedy. In the video, she spoke about giving love and making sacrifices only for people who value them.

“Be ready to give your fate, but to the 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.