iPhone or family tension: Unsolved mystery of 3 deaths at Maharashtra cliff

What’s more worrying is that with the entire family snuffed out, police say identifying the reason behind the tragedy is now a big challenge. “Now that all three have died, finding the exact reason is difficult. We are speaking to relatives and people who knew the family to understand whether there was a prolonged domestic dispute or any other issue that troubled Kunal,” a police officer told The Indian Express.

Murlidhar and Sangita lost their younger son to illness about five years back, and after the tragedy, the only survivor in the family is Sheru, their pet dog, who is now with an activist.

Kunal Chandgude (left) arrived first and his parents rushed to him after being told he had threatened to die by suicide. (Special Arrangement, enhanced with AI)

A love marriage, then years of tension

While cops are yet to zero in on what led to the triple deaths, the investigation into the shocking incident has revealed tensions within the family that may have pushed Kunal to the edge.

Murlidhar, 48, and Sangita, 42, had a love marriage around 22 years ago. According to Murlidhar’s sister Shobha Rajendra Maske, his parents opposed the marriage and did not attend the wedding. The couple moved from their native Jalna to Chhatrapati Sambhajingar, earlier known as Aurangabad.

For about 17 years, Murlidhar was estranged from his parents and sisters, but reconnected with them about four months back. The couple had two sons, and lost the younger one to illness, a loss that affected them deeply.

The family’s dog, Sheru, is now under the care of an activist. (Special Arrangement)

Murlidhar worked as a truck driver and was away from home for days. Sangita was active on social media. On her YouTube channel, which has more than 28,000 subscribers and around 137 videos and Shorts, she posted videos in which she spoke of relationships and marriage.

While her earlier posts featured inspirational messages, her videos from around February are different. In these videos, she spoke about the need for husbands to be understanding and the difficulties women face when their husbands or in-laws mistreat them.

Sangita and her son Kunal in an old photograph. (Special Arrangement)

In another video posted days before the tragedy, Sangita spoke about how women are judged regardless of what they do. A woman who works, she said, is accused of neglecting her family; one who stays at home is criticised for being educated but dependent on her husband.

The timing of these posts coincides with Murlidhar’s reconnection with his family, indicating that this created tension between him and Sangita. In fact, the investigation has found that he had not been living with his wife and son for the past several months.

There was a property angle too. Murlidhar’s father, Rambhau Chandgude, reportedly planned to give his property to his four daughters because he was upset with Murlidhar’s marriage. Sangita was reportedly upset because Murlidhar was financially supporting his sister financially, a police officer said.

Also, the videos show no obvious signs of any financial distress. Sangita and Kunal lived in a spacious two-storey bungalow and had laptops, iPhones and a two-wheeler. This flies in the face of the theory that an iPhone wish and an inability to pay EMIs could have triggered the tragedy.

A Class XI student, Kunal was preparing for the NEET examination. He had enrolled at Aakash Institute, which charges a coaching fee of Rs 1.70 lakh. The first instalment of Rs 40,000 had been paid, and Murlidhar was paying the balance through monthly EMIs of Rs 8,000. According to DCP Pankaj Atulkar, the EMIs were paid on time.

The last video, and separate cremations

Hours before her death with her husband and son, Sangita posted a video on YouTube about relationships. “If a person does not value you, does not value your love or appreciate what you do for them, then there is no point in doing anything for such a person,” she said. Such was the strain that the division in the family appeared to continue even after the deaths. According to relatives, Murlidhar was cremated separately by his family, and Sangita and Kunal by her relatives.

The deaths of the teenager and his parents were captured in a video. (Special Arrangement)

What happened on August 21

On August 21, Kunal went to the hill after reportedly telling his mother that he intended to end his life. What triggered this is not known. His parents followed him to the hill, about 200 feet high, and started pleading with him. Visuals that have since gone viral show Murlidhar and Sangita asking Kunal to walk away from the edge. The police are also seen asking him to come back.

According to police, the conversation between Kunal and his mother at the hill suggested that he was disturbed by family issues. Police have found that Kunal was a good student and had scored 92 per cent in Class 10 boards.

“It appeared that he felt lonely and was not receiving enough attention from his parents. His mother was busy making videos for social media, and his father was away from home for work,” said police constable Suresh Bhise. Bhise saved Kunal when he attempted suicide last year.

Bhise said that on August 21, policemen at the spot told Kunal that the family problems would be resolved. Kunal appeared to be convinced and even smiled at them. Around 1 pm, Murlidhar made a desperate attempt to pull Kunal back. The footage seems to show Kunal stepping back, losing balance and clutching at his father. The two fell, and Sangita, having just witnessed the death of two people closest to her, jumped off too. Within moments, a family was wiped out.