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Manjha menace: Crackdown only on paper? 11 incidents, just two FIRs
The incidents span old Lucknow, central areas and new residential extensions, suggesting the banned string remains widely available despite official claims of raids and seizures. After Shoaib’s death, the chief minister directed officials across the state to intensify raids and treat deaths caused by banned manjha as murder.
Despite chief minister Yogi Adityanath ordering a statewide crackdown on the sale and storage of banned nylon kite string (Chinese manjha) and directing that deaths caused by it be treated as murder following the death of a 33-year-old medical representative, ten incidents have left 10 injured, many with deep throat wounds. Police records, however, show only two FIRs and two arrests, raising questions about enforcement, accountability and the effectiveness of the drive.
A death, then a series of injuries
The spate began with the death of medical representative Mohammad Shoaib, 33, on February 4 after his throat was slit by the deadly string near Bazaarkhala under the west zone commissionerate. Following the incident, an FIR was lodged against unidentified persons. Days later, two youths -- Sadaf Ali, 20, and Ayan Khan, 21, were nabbed from the Baazarkhala area and banned synthetic manjha and kites were recovered from them. An FIR was also registered at Bazaarkhala police station under Section 270 (public nuisance causing common injury) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) but the duo was later released on bail. West zone police are yet to make any headway in Md Shoaib’s case.
The fatality was followed by a string of injuries. Between February 5 and 14, victims included a power department employee in Gomti Nagar Extension, a retired Army man who required nearly 30 stitches after suffering severe facial cuts on Shaheed Path, a trader near Kudiya Ghat, a minor boy in the Chowk area, a delivery porter in Thakurganj, a businessman at Naka flyover, a Class 12 student near Hewett Road, a 29-year-old MDS student at Hahnemann crossing, a local journalist who suffered a deep throat wound, and Mohammad Musharraf, 29, who was injured in Hussainganj while riding with his wife and young daughter.
An FIR was registered in Musharraf’s case on Tuesday (February 17) against unidentified persons under Section 125 of BNS, which penalises acts of rashness or negligence endangering human life or personal safety.
Crackdown vs ground reality
The incidents span old Lucknow, central areas and new residential extensions, suggesting the banned string remains widely available despite official claims of raids and seizures. After Shoaib’s death, the chief minister directed officials across the state to intensify raids and treat deaths caused by banned manjha as murder.
Lucknow police announced special drives to identify sellers and confiscate stock. Drones were deployed, cranes used to remove hanging strings and meetings held with traders. During the drive, two youths were arrested, with police claiming they were repeat offenders.
However, a Hindustan Times reality check, both online and offline, found the banned material being openly sold on e-commerce platforms, while physical stocks were discreetly supplied from hidden inventories.
Senior officers said enforcement teams are conducting raids and awareness campaigns, but the continued injuries despite the fatality and high-level directives suggest supply chains remain intact and the roadside risk persists.
What Lucknowites say
“With one life lost and several others narrowly escaping fatal injuries in nearly two weeks, Lucknow’s banned manjha crisis appears less a question of law and more one of enforcement,” said Amar Nath Kaul, former president of the Lucknow Kite Flying Association.
“If deaths are to be treated as murder, why are most cases not even resulting in FIRs? And if storage and sale are banned, how is the deadly string still freely available across neighbourhoods?” asked Vivek Sharma, activist with the Greater Lucknow Jan Kalyan Mahasamiti.
“If a statewide crackdown is underway, why are city roads continuing to draw blood?” said activist Anju Varshney.
