Despite Ban, Chinese Manjha Slits Throats Of Two Bikers; One Dies

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Despite a ban on lethal “Chinese Manjha” (synthetic kite string), a 45-year-old man lost his life and a 25-year-old civil services aspirant was injured in two separate incidents on Sunday evening. Both victims had their throats slit by the prohibited string while riding their two-wheelers.

In the first incident, which occurred around 4:30 pm on the Khajrana Bridge, Raghuveer Dhakad sustained a fatal neck injury.

Additional DCP Amrendra Singh said that Dhakad, a tiles contractor and resident of Om Sai Vihar Colony, Bicholi Hapsi, was riding home. While descending the Khajrana Bridge toward Bengali Square, the string became entangled around his neck. Singh added that police recovered a kite along with a piece of Chinese string from the scene. Police launched a probe and are registering a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Good Samaritans rushed him to MY Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Family members said that he was returning from his construction site near Rasoma Square. One of his sons had died unnaturally by drowning around a year ago.

Initially, the incident was believed to have occurred under the Tilak Nagar police station limits. TI Manish Lodha told media that the police received information from MY Hospital that Dhakad had died after his throat was slit by a sharp thread. However, later it was confirmed that the incident actually occurred in the Khajrana police station limits as the team eventually located the spot after seeing blood stains on the bridge.

Second victim injured on Juni Indore bridge

Around 5:30 pm on the Juni Indore Bridge, a youth identified as Narendra Jamod sustained a severe neck cut. Jamod, a native of Dhar, was returning to his rented accommodation with his friend Anil Chauhan when the accident occurred. Juni Indore police station in-charge Anil Gupta said they received information regarding Jamod’s injury and have launched a probe into the case.

FP View: A collective responsibility

Stopping the use of Chinese manjha is a collective duty, not just a job for the authorities. Citizens must educate themselves and others on the dangers of this banned string, promote eco-friendly cotton threads, and report illegal sales to the police. Traders who sell these strings are endangering lives for meager profits.

To stay safe, two-wheeler riders should wear scarves or mufflers and install kite string guards—steel-looped wires mounted on handlebars that act as a protective barrier against stray strings.

Police claims vs. Ground reality

While the police frequently claim to be cracking down on the sale, storage, and use of Chinese manjha—even registering FIRs and arresting offenders—this tragedy exposes significant gaps in enforcement. If a total ban is in place, how is this deadly string still reaching kite flyers?

Previous fatalities

Earlier, two other students died in similar incidents:

Gulshan (16), a Class 8 student, died on the Bypass on November 30.

Himanshu Solanki (20), a B.Com student from Manawar, died in the Dwarkapuri area on January 15, 2025.