Manja thread strikes again in Chennai; claims the life of a three-year-old
By Newsmeter Network Published on 4 Nov 2019 12:31 PM GMT
Chennai: In yet another death by manja thread, a three-year-old boy riding along with his father on a motorbike died after a manja thread slit his throat at Korukkupet on Sunday evening.
According to police, Gopal was driving towards Korukkupet along with his son Abhinaya after visiting a relative. “As they were riding, a stray manja thread hanging from a lamppost reportedly tangled around Abhinaya’s neck,” said the officer.
Gopal, who noticed his son bleeding and crying, initially thought that Abhinaya hurt his leg. However, after he stopped the bike and checked for wounds, Gopal found his son bleeding from the neck.
His father rushed Abhinaya to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. After which, a case was registered with the Korukkupet police station, and investigators arrested four men and a juvenile on Monday. The officials sent the minor to a government observation home. The four men are identified as Nagaraj (20), Lokesh (21), Loganathan, Charles (23)
In 2018 October, 24-year-old man Logesh Kumar, riding along with his friend, was injured after a manja kite thread slit his throat near Vyasarpadi. Police arrested two including a juvenile in connection with this.
In March 2017, a 40-year-old techie died after a stray manja kite thread slit his throat while he was riding his bike on Anakaputhur stretch of Chennai bypass. The man allegedly lost control of the motorcycle, rammed into an iron railing on the roadside and died on the spot while his father who rode pillion sustained injures.
It may be noted that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned the use of Chinese kite strings, made of nylon or any synthetic material, which is non-biodegradable, in July 2017. They directed all state governments to prohibit the “manufacture, sale, storage, purchase and use” of synthetic manja or nylon and all other synthetic strings used for flying kites with immediate effect. The decision was made as these materials posed a threat to life and the environment.
Manja string is made of glass and copper pieces besides other materials used by kite fliers to cut each other’s’ kite during a duel. Previously in October 2015, Chennai police banned flying kites using manja for 60 days in the city, after a five-year-old boy suffered cuts from kite thread manja and died.
