Schoolboy killed, friend injured as kite string slits throat in Samrala

15-year-old victim was the only son of his parents; second such incident reported in the town within hours

A 15-year-old boy was killed and his friend seriously injured after their motorcycle ran into a banned Chinese kite string near Chehlan village on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh highway on Saturday.

Taranjot Singh, 15, was killed when his motorcycle ran into a banned Chinese kite string near Chehlan village on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh highway on Saturday. (HT file photo)

The incident has once again highlighted the ineffective enforcement of the ban on synthetic manjha.

The victim, Taranjot Singh of Rohla village, was returning from school with his friend, Prabhjot Singh, when the sharp string tightened around his neck, fatally slitting his throat.

Prabhjot, who was riding pillion, sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital in Samrala.

Taranjot was the only son of his parents.

Samrala station house officer Harvinder Singh, who visited the site, confirmed the cause of death. However, when questioned on the continued availability of the banned string despite claims of strict action, the SHO failed to provide a clear response, maintaining only that regular checks were being conducted.

The victim’s family has blamed the local administration and police for the tragedy. “Had there been any real crackdown on the sale of this string, my son would still be alive,” a relative said. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination.

In a separate incident near Haidon village, Charanjit Giri of Jonewal sustained a deep gash to his finger after getting entangled in a kite string. Giri was travelling toward the Samrala bus stand after attending a wedding when the incident occurred. He is also being treated at the Samrala Civil Hospital.