1 week ago
Months-Long Family Dispute Preceded Three Maharashtra Cliff Deaths
Three members of a family died after falling from a cliff in Maharashtra.
Police said an 18-year-old young man named Kunal went to the cliff on August 21.
He told police and villagers that he planned to die by suicide.
Police and firefighters tried to persuade him to move away for nearly two hours.
His father fell while trying to grab or save him.
His mother then jumped from the cliff, according to police.
Investigators first mentioned a quarrel about a mobile phone.
They now say the family had been under stress from a dispute for two or three months and are still investigating the exact cause.
Police said a family dispute had caused significant stress for two to three months.
An 18-year-old youth named Kunal went to Khavda Hill around noon on August 21 and announced suicidal intent.
Police and fire brigade personnel spent about 1.5 to two hours trying to persuade him to move away.
Kunal’s father fell while attempting to grab or save him, and his mother then jumped from the cliff.
Police are investigating the family conflict, while earlier accounts had linked the tragedy to a mobile-phone quarrel.
- Who
- An 18-year-old youth identified as Kunal and both his parents died; police and fire brigade personnel responded.
- What
- Three family members died after falling from a cliff during an attempted suicide and rescue effort.
- Where
- Khavda Hill in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra.
- When
- August 21, beginning around 12:00 PM.
- Why
- Police said a family dispute had caused stress for two to three months; earlier accounts also cited a quarrel over a mobile phone.
Broader Police Inquiry
Initial Mobile-Phone Account
What triggered the tragedy?
Broader Police Inquiry
Deputy Commissioner of Police Pankaj Atulkar said preliminary findings point to a family dispute that had created stress for two to three months, while police continue investigating its precise nature.
Initial Mobile-Phone Account
Earlier police accounts linked the incident to a quarrel between Kunal and his father over a mobile phone.
How did the parents die?
Broader Police Inquiry
Atulkar said Kunal’s father lost his balance while trying to grab him, and his mother then jumped from the cliff.
Initial Mobile-Phone Account
The reports differ slightly on timing: one account describes the mother as jumping simultaneously, while another says she jumped after the father fell.
Key facts
- Deaths
- Three family members died.
- Location
- Khavda Hill, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra
- Youth
- Kunal, aged 18
- Date and time
- August 21, around 12:00 PM
- Cliff height
- Approximately 400–500 feet
- Negotiation effort
- Police and fire brigade personnel tried to persuade Kunal for about 1.5–2 hours
- Investigation focus
- A family dispute that reportedly caused stress for two to three months
Quotes
Pankaj Atulkar
Deputy Commissioner of Police investigating the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar deaths
“Preliminary investigations reveal that there was a family dispute, which had created an atmosphere of stress in the household over the past two or three months. Distressed by this situation, the young man attempted suicide on August 21st.”
thestatesman.com
m.rediff.com
“When his father attempted to grab him, he lost his balance and fell; simultaneously, his mother, who was also present at the scene, suddenly jumped off the cliff. Thus, three lives were lost in this incident.”
thestatesman.com
m.rediff.com
Sources
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