Four wounded by Chinese kite string in Indore; 25 arrested

Indore, January 15 (PTI) Four persons were injured in separate incidents due to the banned ‘Chinese manja’ (synthetic or nylon strings) during the Makar Sankranti festival in Indore, while police arrested 25 individuals for using the deadly thread, officials said on Thursday.

Four passersby were wounded in different parts of the city on Wednesday because of Chinese strings during kite flying and were admitted to nearby hospitals, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotiya told reporters here.

All four are currently out of danger, said the official.

“Sixteen criminal cases have been registered in the city in connection with the use and sale of Chinese kite string, in which 25 persons have been arrested. Of these, 12 were flying kites using this hazardous string,” the police official said.

He said police action against the use of Chinese kite strings is continuing in the city.

According to officials, a 16-year-old boy and a 45-year-old man have died in separate incidents over the past one and a half months after their throats were slit allegedly by Chinese manja.

Made of nylon or other synthetic materials, Chinese manja is so sharp that it can cause fatal injuries, said officials. The administration has banned the thread in Indore.

Despite the danger and the ban, kite-flying enthusiasts use it to cut rivals’ kites. PTI HWP LAL NR