The case involving the deaths of an 18-year-old boy and his parents after a fall from Khavdya Dongar in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district has taken a new turn, with the police now indicating that family discord, rather than an iPhone dispute alone, may have played a significant role in the tragedy.
Old videos and social media posts by the 18-year-old's mother, Sangeeta, have surfaced online following the deaths and are being examines as a part of the investigation, NDTV reported.
In a video posted a day before the tragedy, Sangeeta spoke about relationships, emotional investment and the importance of leaving relationships when one's efforts and sacrifices are not valued.
Another purported video that surfaced after the tragedy contains allegations about people allegedly interfering in her family life and causing differences between the family members, NDTV reported.
The videos have consequently added to questions about whether there were longstanding tensions within the family before the incident, although the allegations made in the videos have not been independently established by the police, as reported by NDTV.
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What happened in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar?
The incident took place on August 21 at Khavdya Dongar / Khawadya Hill near Tisgaon in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The three deceased were identified as 18-year-old Kunal Chandgude, his father Murlidhar Chandgude and his mother Sangeeta Chandgude.
Police stated, as cited by The Times of India, that Kunal went to the hill around 10 am after an argument with his father and threatened to die by suicide. His parents, villagers, police and fire brigade personnel subsequently reached the spot and tried for hours to persuade him to move away from the cliff. At around 1 pm, Kunal's father Murlidhar moved towards him in an attempt to save him. Kunal fell, and Murlidhar also fell while trying to catch or pull Kunal back. Sangeeta then fell / jumped from the cliff after witnessing the two fall. All three were deceased.
The initial police account did point towards an iPhone / EMI dispute. But the police now say that this does not appear to be the whole story. Subsequent preliminary investigation led police to believe that a deeper family discord was involved. The police investigation has therefore not established that the iPhone itself was the sole cause of the deaths, with officers instead examining the family's broader domestic circumstances, The Times of India reported.
According to NDTV, the investigators are also looking into the circumstances surrounding Sangeeta's social media posts and the allegations she made in them.
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