Child’s death due to manja: ‘Not an accident, but a brutal murder’

Nagpur: While the city police have registered a case of accidental death after 11-year-old Ved Shahu lost his life due to nylon manja, activists and experts have termed the tragic incident as a ‘brutal murder’.
On early Sunday morning, Ved’s throat was slit by the deadly kite-flying thread while he was on his way home from school. Outraged by this, anti-Chinese manja crusaders have demanded that relevant sections of murder should be imposed on the culprits.
“Right from the local administration, police to sellers and parents who buy nylon manja for their children – all are to be blamed for this murder. Calling it an accident is an eyewash. When everyone knows that this particular manja is lethal to human life, why is it being produced, sold and bought,” asked activist Arvind Kumar Raturi.
According to lawyer and social crusader Ankita Shah, the “government has the child’s blood on its hands” as it has failed to keep a check on the import of the banned manja. “Officials including Nagpur municipal commissioner, commissioner of police and heads of other government departments should be suspended for failing to implement the ban despite so many years. At least fearing suspension, they will keep minute watch on people using this deadly thread,” said Shah.
Demanding strong FIR and urgent submission of charge sheets in the court, environmentalist and former animal welfare officer of the state Swapnil Bodhane said that strong action is needed against the sellers.
“Their licenses should be cancelled immediately, and relevant offences should be registered against them too. This incident wouldn’t have happened had the local administrative officials taken timely and strict action against the sale of nylon manja. Apart from them, every citizen who uses nylon manja for the sake of his excitement and fun is to be blamed for this death,” added Bodhane.
Agreed environmentalist and social crusader Kunal Mourya, who blamed the officials for “not waking up from their slumber on time”. “It is only during the year-end when our officials get into little action and start spreading awareness on the manja ban. Why don’t they start months before? This loss of life shows how weak our administration is; it couldn’t implement a simple ban. People who sell and use manja should be put behind bars, heavy fines should be imposed so that there is a fear among citizens,” said Mourya.
Stating that everyone including the importer, seller, distributor, and users should be booked, Shah added, “It won’t be long before kite-flying would be banned all-together of such incidents continue.”
The police should make separate teams in different areas and nab the sellers, said anti-manja crusader Nitish Bhandakkar. “Despite being banned, nylon manja was widely sold in the city this year too. This is a big failure of the administration and also a big shame on people who use this ‘maut ka fanda’ for their personal enjoyment, knowing that it is killing innocent people.”