Family of Three Dies in Fall From Khavda Hill in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Three members of a family, residents of the Devlai area in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, died on Friday after falling from Khavda Hill following a rescue effort that lasted nearly three hours.

The deceased have been identified as 18-year-old Kunal Chandgude and his parents, Murlidhar Chandgude and Sangita Chandgude.

According to reports, Kunal reached the edge of Khavda Hill at around 10 am on Friday and repeatedly threatened to take his own life. His parents, along with local villagers and police personnel who arrived at the scene, spent nearly three hours pleading with him to move away from the cliff edge and think of his family.

Despite repeated appeals from his family and officials, the teenager remained positioned near the precipice. During the final 15 to 20 minutes of the standoff, Kunal's father climbed up the hill to intervene directly.

At around 1 pm, as the teenager continued moving near the edge, his father attempted to grab him to pull him to safety. The two reportedly lost their balance and fell from the hill. Moments later, the panic-stricken mother also fell from the hill while trying to respond to the tragedy. All three family members died in the incident.

The three-hour ordeal was witnessed by local residents, tourists, and police personnel who had assembled at the site to assist in the rescue operation, with some eyewitnesses capturing videos of the attempts to dissuade the teenager.

Following the incident, a sombre scene unfolded at the Chandgude family's residence in the Devlai area, where the family's pet dog was left alone outside the vacant home. Local residents attempted to feed the animal by passing food through a window, but the dog reportedly refused to eat throughout the day. Neighbours stated that the dog has been moving around the property and sitting near the doorway, waiting for the family to return.