‘You don't know what happened’: After Maha cliff tragedy, aunt rejects iPhone claim
The aunt of a teenager who died in a family tragedy in India has publicly pleaded for an end to false social media rumors. She clarified that claims suggesting the death was caused by a dispute over an iPhone are entirely fabricated and are causing the grieving family further distress.
Why it matters
This illustrates the harmful impact of misinformation and 'clickbait' culture on families dealing with real-world tragedies.
CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: The aunt of 18-year-old Kunal Chandgude, whose death along with his parents at Khavdya Dongar last Friday shook the country, has released an emotional video urging people to stop spreading unverified claims about the family.Pallavi Patil, sister of Kunal’s mother Sangeeta, said videos claiming that Kunal forced his parents to die by suicide because he did not get an iPhone were circulating widely on social media.“Why are you spreading lies without any information?” Patil asked in the video, saying people who did not know the family or the circumstances surrounding the tragedy were making videos only for views and likes.“Sangita was my elder sister, Kunal was my nephew and Murlidhar was my brother-in-law.
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