The deadly menace of banned "Chinese" kite strings—synthetic threads coated with razor-sharp glass or metal—has claimed at least one life and inflicted severe injuries on multiple individuals across Madhya Pradesh in recent days. These hazardous manja strings, despite being prohibited by law, continue to pose an extreme threat to public safety, particularly to motorcyclists and pedestrians during the kite-flying season.

In Indore, the state's commercial hub, three motorcyclists suffered gruesome neck injuries within a span of just four hours on Sunday. The most tragic incident involved 35-year-old tile contractor Raghuveer Dhakad from Bicholi Mardana, whose throat was fatally slit by a kite string while he was riding across Khajrana Bridge around 5:30 pm. Despite being rushed to MY Hospital, Dhakad succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind his son Sahil. Police have registered a case and are questioning those who brought him to the hospital.

Within hours of Dhakad's death, two more victims were reported in the city. Eighteen-year-old NEET aspirant Narendra Jamod sustained a severe neck injury on Sapna-Sangeeta Road while riding with a friend and underwent emergency surgery at a private facility. In a separate incident near Indore Airport, Ashish Raghuvanshi suffered a deep neck wound and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital on 60 Feet Road. Authorities have described these incidents as part of a disturbing pattern emerging during the festival period.

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The danger is not confined to Indore. In Chhindwara, a nine-year-old boy named Atharva Karade required 43 stitches after a kite string sliced through his ear while he played outside his home. Ujjain district has witnessed repeated cases, including a student whose throat was cut, requiring 10 stitches, and a priest who survived a two-hour surgery after a similar injury. In November and December alone, at least seven individuals were injured by these strings in Ujjain, highlighting the widespread nature of the threat.

Despite a longstanding ban on the manufacture, sale, and use of Chinese manja, enforcement remains severely inadequate. These virtually invisible, ultra-sharp nylon threads continue to be sold and used openly, often ending up entangled on rooftops, electric poles, and roadsides. The recurring incidents have once again exposed critical gaps in implementation and raised serious questions about the effectiveness of measures intended to protect citizens from this preventable public safety hazard.

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