Tea, blessings and a mother-son bond; teen’s videos surface after Maharashtra hill tragedy

CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: Two new videos showing 18-year-old Kunal Chandwade with his mother, Sangeeta, have surfaced on social media days after the mother and son died along with Kunal’s father at Khavdya Dongar in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.In one of the videos, Kunal is seen sitting with his mother and having tea. Another clip shows him washing his mother’s feet and seeking her blessings.The videos offer a glimpse of the mother-son bond against the backdrop of the tragedy at the hill, where Kunal, his mother and father Murlidhar died after the teenager allegedly jumped from a cliff.Kunal had reached the hill around 10am and remained near the edge of the 400-500ft cliff for nearly three hours, despite repeated efforts by his parents, villagers, police and fire brigade personnel to persuade him to move to safety.His mother was among those who repeatedly spoke to him and pleaded with him to step away from the edge. Rescuers had also deployed safety nets below the cliff as they attempted to prevent the tragedy.Another video that surfaced earlier showed Sangeeta speaking to Kunal from a lower stretch of the hillside, with several people around her also trying to convince him to move away from the edge.At one point, she reportedly knelt down and pleaded with him before others pulled her back as Kunal moved closer to the edge.Police and witnesses have been examining the circumstances leading up to the incident. Local residents had said Kunal was distressed after his parents refused to buy him an iPhone, though investigators are looking into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.The family’s bodies were recovered from the difficult terrain and sent for postmortem, while police have been recording statements of witnesses as part of the investigation.The newly surfaced videos are now drawing attention for their portrayal of the bond between Kunal and his mother shortly before the tragedy.