Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, August 22:  A dispute over the repayment of an iPhone EMI ended in tragedy in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, with an 18-year-old boy, his father and his mother dying after jumping from a hill, police said.

According to officials, Kunal had purchased an iPhone but was struggling to pay the instalments. A heated argument with his father, Murlidhar Chandgude, over the latest EMI reportedly prompted him to leave home and climb a hill in the Tisgaon area, under the Waluj MIDC police station limits, around 10 am.

His parents and several locals reached the spot and spent nearly three hours trying to persuade him to return. Videos recorded at the scene showed people appealing to Kunal to reconsider. One man urged him to "live for your mother", while others reportedly offered to arrange an iPhone 15 Pro for him.

However, Kunal repeatedly insisted that he wanted to die.

Around 1 pm, his father climbed towards him and attempted to pull him away from the edge. Both lost their balance and fell into the gorge. Kunal's mother, Sangeeta, who witnessed the incident, jumped from the hill shortly afterwards.

All three died at the spot.

Sanjay Jadhav, a former sarpanch of Tisgaon village, was among those who tried to convince Kunal to step back. He said locals made repeated appeals, reminding the teenager that he was educated and had a future ahead of him.

Police recovered the bodies and sent them for post-mortem examinations. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.

The incident was witnessed by several local residents and tourists, while parts of the prolonged attempt to persuade Kunal to come down were captured on video.

Police have not yet disclosed further details about the family dispute or confirmed reports that Kunal had been battling depression.