Seven booked for death of minor by sharp kite string in west Delhi

Seven people have been booked for flying kites using "Chinese manjha," a glass-coated string after a seven-year-old girl's throat was slit by the sharp thread.

Seven people in west Delhi were booked on Friday for flying kites using “Chinese manjha” (glass-coated string), said police, a day after a seven-year-old girl’s throat was slit by the sharp thread in Paschim Vihar.

Delhi has for years been unable to stamp out the use of manjha to fly kites, with the city consequently reporting several injuries and deaths of the sharp thread every year. (Representational image)

“The seven kite-flyers have been prosecuted under sections 94 and 97 of the Delhi Police Act for causing danger and potentially injuring people and animals or damaging property,” said deputy commissioner of police (outer) Harendra K Singh.

Police also recovered 200 kites and 33 rolls of Chinese manjha from the seven, he said.

Delhi Police’s action came after a seven-year-old girl was on Thursday killed in Paschim Vihar after her throat was slit by manjha while she was sitting in front of her father on his motorcycle. This was the first death from the kite string this year, prompting authorities to make fresh attempts to snap its largely unfettered use.

Delhi has for years been unable to stamp out the use of manjha to fly kites, with the city consequently reporting several injuries and deaths of the sharp thread every year. The number of instances usually spikes in the weeks leading to Independence Day.

The Delhi government in January 2017 and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in July that year prohibited the sale, manufacture and supply of manjha across the city, taking note of a spate of injuries to human beings and animals. This, however, did little to dissuade use of the thread on the ground, with production and sales still abundant across the Capital.

On Thursday, police registered 15 cases against traders selling manjha from across the North, Northeast, South, Southwest, Southeast, Outer and Central districts. The police seized 16 rolls of the thread in North district, with FIRs lodged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Chandni Chowk, Malka Ganj, Burari, Sarai Rohilla, and Gulabi Bagh police stations.

In the central district, police seized 10 rolls of coated manjha from Haus Qazi and action was taken under provisions of the Environment Protection Act. In North-east district, police seized manjha from three spots and registered FIR against three sellers.

Delhi Police officers said kite-flying involves betting in some instances.

“Some ‘professionals’ place bets on winning kite duels,” said a senior police officer, who asked not to be named.

In a notice circulated from the office of police commissioner Sanjay Arora, signed by his officer on special duty (OSD) Manishi Chandra, on Thursday, police officers were directed to raise awareness against the use of Chinese manjha. “All DCPs shall make best endeavours to create awareness among target groups, utilise ‘Eyes and Ears’ to ill-effects and illegality of use of Chinese manjha, ensure strict surveillance, and carry out sustained enforcement.”