# Aunt denies Maharashtra teen died over iPhone EMI dispute 2026-08-25T23:20:56+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The maternal aunt of Kunal Chandgude, the 19-year-old who died along with his parents after falling from a hill cliff in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, has rejected claims that the teenager killed himself over an iPhone EMI. Kalyani Dabhade told reporters that Kunal was distressed by tensions between his parents and wanted his father to return home, not to end his life. Dabhade said Kunal had spoken to his father five or six days before the incident, asking him to come home. She said the family was not in financial distress and Kunal could have bought a second-hand phone for Rs 20,000-25,000 if needed. The three died on Friday in the Tisgaon area after Kunal leapt from the hill and his father tried to save him, followed by his mother. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The police are yet to release a final report, and the family's version now directly contradicts the initial narrative of a phone-related suicide. A teenager's distress over a parent's absence, rather than a gadget, is a more common but less sensational driver of family tragedy. The local police investigation and any suicide note recovered will determine which account holds. The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar police are expected to file a closure report in the coming weeks. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Leads with the aunt's denial, reports both versions without endorsing either. This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Kalyani Dabhade, Kunal Chandgude, Maharashtra Police Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/aunt-denies-maharashtra-teen-died-over-iphone-emi-dispute/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/aunt-denies-maharashtra-teen-died-over-iphone-emi-dispute/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/