In a swift action following a tragic death, the Chhatripura police in Indore have arrested two individuals and seized a massive haul of 200 rolls of banned Chinese manja. This crackdown comes just a day after a 16-year-old boy lost his life when his throat was slit by the deadly synthetic kite string.
Police Crackdown Nets Major Haul
The arrests were made on Monday as part of an intense campaign to identify and apprehend sellers of the prohibited Chinese threads used for flying kites. The operation was launched by the Chhatripura police station. Station in-charge Sanjeev Shrivastava detailed the sequence of events to reporters.
Police first traced a man named Dev Oatkar, who was found in possession of one roll of the dangerous string. Upon interrogation, Oatkar revealed his source, leading the police team to Mevati Mohalla. A targeted search in the area resulted in the apprehension of 25-year-old Sameer Mev, from whom the police recovered the staggering cache of 200 rolls of Chinese manja.
Legal Action and District-Wide Ban
Both accused were formally arrested under specific sections of the law. Inspector Shrivastava confirmed they were booked under BNS 223 for disobedience of orders from a public servant and BNS 125 for endangering the lives of people. This police action reinforces a recent prohibitory order issued by the district administration.
Indore District Magistrate Shivam Verma had imposed an immediate ban on the use, storage, and sale of synthetic kite string. The order was issued under Section 163 of the Indian Citizen Security Code 2023. The timing is critical, as the ban is effective from November 25, 2025, to January 23, 2026, covering the peak kite-flying season around the Makar Sankranti festival.
The Tragic Incident That Sparked Action
The urgency behind the police campaign stems from a heartbreaking accident on Sunday. The victim, identified as 16-year-old Gulshan, a resident of Omaxe City, was returning home on a motorcycle with his brother Arun and two friends, Vishal and Krishna, after a visit to Ralamandal.
According to the police account provided by his brother Arun, the group was riding when a stray kite string, the banned Chinese manja, suddenly snagged around Gulshan's neck. The extreme strength of the synthetic material caused a fatal injury, leading to the teenager's death at the Tejaji Nagar bypass. This incident highlighted the severe danger the thread poses not only to birds and animals but also to people.
The combined efforts of the district administration and the police underscore a determined drive to prevent further tragedies and enforce the ban on Chinese manja strictly during the upcoming festival period.
