An 18-year-old’s iPhone EMI dispute turned tragic in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The teenager and his father fell from a cliff during an argument, while his mother later jumped from the same spot. Locals tried to convince the teenager to step back.
An 18 year old managed to buy an iPhone but was unable to pay the installments leading to a massive tragedy at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) in Maharashtra. The teenager and his father lost their balance jumped off the cliff. Shortly after, the boy's mother jumped from the same spot.
The boy had bought an iPhone and requested that his family pay the EMIs, which led to a heated argument between the father and son. Thereafter, the teenager left home and reached the Tisgaon area, which falls under the limits of the Waluj MIDC police station. His parents followed him. His father also climbed up the cliff and attempted to pull him back from the edge. Both the father and son lost their balance and fell into the gorge below. Moments later, his mother jumped from the exact same spot.
A number of locals witnessed the scene during the hours-long standoff, and a viral video also captured the incident. While the full extent of the family disputes remains unknown, the mental health of the teenager will be scrutinized, as he reportedly had a history of depression. Further investigation is ongoing.
Read More about the dispute here.
The locals attempted to stop the teenager from jumping off the cliff. They tried to convince him by offering to help him pay for the iPhone 15 Pro. However, he insisted that death was his only way out telling them "No, I have to die. That remains the only way."
Sanjay Jadhav, a former sarpanch of Tisgaon village, said:
We pleaded with him a lot that he should look at his mother, that he shouldn't jump, and that he was educated with a bright future ahead of him. We made every appeal we could.
(If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, in India you can reach the AASRA helpline at 9820466726 (24/7), or the Tele-MANAS helpline at 1800-891-4416.)
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