Man, 19, in India falls off cliff with parents, their family denies deaths caused by iPhone dispute

A 19-year-old man and his parents fell off a cliff in India and died on Aug. 21, sparking speculation and local media reports that a quarrel over the purchase of an iPhone was the root cause of the trio's deaths.

However, it has now transpired that family issues may have been the cause of the tragedy.

Allegations of iPhone dispute

According to an earlier report by NDTV, the teenager, Kunal, had asked his parents to pay the instalments of a new iPhone on his behalf, but his request was denied.

This led him to go to a cliff located in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, where he threatened to throw himself off at about 10am.

A three-hour standoff reportedly ensued between Kunal and residents from the nearby village, who attempted to dissuade him by urging him to "live for your mother".

Police and fire department personnel were reportedly present at the scene.

After Kunal's parents arrived, his father attempted to pull his son back, but was dragged down with his son.

The teen's mother, 42, then jumped to her death after them, the outlet reported.

Clips of the incident have since gone viral online, depicting the exchange between Kunal, his parents and other residents.

Family dispute

Kunal's aunt has since repeatedly rejected the speculation that an iPhone was at the centre of the dispute, claiming that online commenters "don't know what actually happened".

According to the Times of India. she said without going into detail: "Why are you spreading lies without any information?"

"Only we know what a mountain has fallen on our family after losing these three."

According to the media outlet, the police also later found that Kunal had gone to the same cliff in 2025 and threatened to die by suicide after his demand for an iPhone was not fulfilled.

He was later counselled by the police, they confirmed, but according to one officer, "this year there was something else".

The Indian Express reported on Aug. 26 that investigations moved to broader family tensions, and it was found that Kunal's parents had an ongoing dispute relating to his mother's unhappiness over her husband's visitations to his family.

According to Asia News Network, the dispute had strained the family in the months leading to the tragedy.

Kumal was said to have attempted suicide on that day after being distressed by the situation.

Mother's cryptic video

Further investigations also found a seemingly cryptic video on relationships posted by Kumal's mother a day before her death, NDTV reported.

The woman, who had posted multiple videos on YouTube previously, said that there is "no point in doing anything for a person who does not value 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 reportedly added.

It was also found that she had been living separately from her husband for some time after her elder son's death from an illness six years ago.

"A roti is only delicious if both sides are cooked," she said.