Representative image of a 'manja' (kite string).
Credit: iStock Photo
Indore: The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the state government to strictly enforce the ban on Chinese manja, noting that if a minor is found flying a kite using the banned string, his guardians can be held legally responsible.
A bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi also ordered wide publicity among the public that selling or using Chinese manja can invite action under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for causing death by negligence.
The bench took suo motu cognisance of deaths and accidents caused by the Chinese string on December 11, 2025.
During the hearing, the bench was informed by the state government that steps had already been taken to stop the sale of Chinese manja and several precautionary measures were being implemented to prevent accidents linked to the kite string.
The state government also told the court that awareness campaigns would be run in print and electronic media to curb the sale and use of Chinese string.
Issuing specific directions, the high court said, "They (respondents) are also directed to publish that if anybody is found selling or using the said thread, he may also be prosecuted for commission of offence under Section 106(1) of BNS, 2023 (304-A of the IPC).
"It should also be noted that if any minor is found using the Chinese Nylon Thread, then his guardian may also be made responsible," it observed.
During the hearing, Indore district magistrate Shivam Verma told the high court that the administration would issue necessary orders at the earliest in compliance with the directions, which would also be circulated immediately to neighbouring districts.
Officials said that in the past one-and-a-half months, a 16-year-old boy and a 45-year-old man had died in separate incidents in Indore after their throats were allegedly slit by Chinese manja.
Popularly known as Chinese manja, the sharp string is banned by the administration, but kite flyers continue to use it to cut rivals' kites.