Delhi / Engineer dies as 'manjha' slits his throat while riding with sisters

A 28-year-old civil engineer was killed and at least half a dozen others, including a retired defence forces officer, were injured after being allegedly hit by sharp kite strings (manjha) in separate incidents during Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan celebrations on Thursday.

A 14-year-old boy was also electrocuted in outer Delhi’s Ranhola. Police said they were probing if the teenager was electrocuted while flying a kite.

Police said the civil engineer, Manav Sharma, was killed after his throat was slit with a kite string (manjha) while he was riding a scooter with two of his sisters on Vikaspuri-Meera Bagh elevated corridor in outer Delhi’s Paschim Vihar on Thursday night. The trio were heading towards their aunt’s house in Hari Nagar from their Budh Vihar home in Rohini to celebrate Raksha Bandhan, when the mishap took place.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (outer) Rajender Singh Sagar said that Sharma was riding the scooter while his sisters – Monika and Sneha – were riding pillion. “They were on the Vikaspuri-Meera Bagh elevated corridor when a sharp kite string hit Sharma, slitting his throat. As Sharma started bleeding, he applied brakes and stopped the two-wheeler. His sisters rushed him to Balaji Action hospital with the help of some passersby where Sharma was declared brought dead,” said Sagar.

According to the additional DCP, the doctors told the police that the kite string had made a deep incision on Sharma’s throat and severed his wind and food pipes. His body was handed over to the family after autopsy on Friday.

“We have registered a case of causing death under sections 304A and 336 of Indian Penal Code against unknown persons. Since the kite string that hit Sharma could not be found at the incident spot, we cannot ascertain if it was a Chinese or improvised Indian manjha,” said Sagar.

In a similar incident, 49-year-old Har Singh suffered cut wounds around his neck after a kite string hit him while he was riding a scooter on Pankha Road flyover in west Delhi’s Mayapuri area on Thursday evening. Police said Singh did not file a complaint because his injuries were not serious.

Despite the national Green Tribunal (NGT) ordering a complete ban on Chinese manjha two years ago, incidents of deaths and injuries caused by kite strings continue being reported from the national capital.

A total of 15 calls related to injuries caused by manjha were received on Thursday, when the country celebrated its Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan.

Of the total calls, six were from the areas of outer district, from where the death of the civil engineer, Manav Sharma, was reported. Two such calls were received from northwest district while six other districts – Rohini, Dwarka, northeast, east, southeast, and west – received one call each, said deputy commissioner of police (central), Mandeep Singh Randhawa, who is also Delhi Police’s spokesperson.

“We registered 17 cases under Section 188 of Indian Penal Code against people who were found selling banned manjha. Since the sale, production, storage, supply, importation, and use of banned manjha were banned two years ago, the Delhi Police have been frequently taking action as per law. We also initiate special drives and issue public orders during festivals when sale and use of Chinese manjha increase in the city,” said Randhawa.