Three members of a family died in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Friday in a freak sequence of falls from a hilltop that reportedly stemmed from a domestic dispute over a mobile phone.
The incident took place at Khavda Hill in the Tisgaon area under Waluj MIDC police jurisdiction. The deceased were identified 19-year-old boy, who had threatened suicide, and his parents, who died while trying to save him, according to police, news agency PTI reported. They were residents of Zalta Phata.
Around 10 am, the boy went up the hill after an argument with his parents over his demand for a new mobile phone, the report added.
The teenager had threatened repeatedly that he would jump, prompting his parents, villagers and police personnel to spend nearly three hours trying to persuade him to move away from the edge, NDTV reported.
The prolonged standoff was also captured on video by tourists and locals at the site, the publication reported.
Also Read: One dead, 3 injured after building collapses in Delhi's Karol Bagh
Three-hour ordeal ends in tragedy
{{/usCountry}}Also Read: One dead, 3 injured after building collapses in Delhi's Karol Bagh
Three-hour ordeal ends in tragedy
{{/usCountry}}Police and fire brigade personnel reached the spot as efforts continued to bring him to safety. Fire service personnel attempted to spread a safety net at the base of the hill, but the boy kept moving along the cliff edge, making the rescue effort difficult.
The father initially tried to reason with his son from below before climbing up during the final 15-20 minutes of the ordeal. At around 1 pm, he moved closer to his son and attempted to grab him as he approached the edge.
Also Read: Driver stabs cook at ex-employer's home in Mumbai, attempts to die by suicide
The boy then fell from the steep hill, and his father, who tried to save him, also lost his balance and fell. The mother, who witnessed her husband and son plunge from the hill, fell moments later, police said.
Eyewitness Sanjay Jadhav told NDTV that the parents and others had repeatedly tried to persuade the boy to move away from the edge. He said the mother kept pleading with her son not to jump, PTI report added.
The bodies were recovered by police and sent for further formalities.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-23389090 from Sumaitri (Delhi-based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based).