Nephew injured critically by Chinese manjha, UP minister questions how string available despite curbs

3 min readLucknowUpdated: Jun 16, 2026 03:36 PM IST

The complainant and the main accused, Madare, knew each other, Singareddy said, and the alleged incidents began in 2025. (File Photo)

By Shruti Gupta

A teenaged nephew of Uttar Pradesh Minister Sanjay Gangwar sustained serious injuries after Chinese manjha (nylon kite string) got tangled around his neck when he was driving a scooter on a flyover in Bareilly Monday morning.

The victim, Adityaveer Singh Gangwar (15), is a resident of Lalauri Khera area in neighbouring Pilibhit district. His mother, a railway official, is posted in Bareilly.

Bareilly Superintendent of Police (City) Manush Pareek said the incident occurred when Adityaveer, a Class 8 student, was heading to a stadium with a friend at around 7.30 am. As the scooter crossed the Shyamganj flyover, a strand of Chinese manjha gor entangled around his neck, causing serious cuts, the SP added.

While Adityaveer was rushed to a hospital for treatment, his friend escaped unhurt.

Pareek said the boy was out of danger.

‘How is it still available despite ban?’

Following the incident, Gangwar, Minister of State (MoS) for Sugarcane Development and Sugar Mills, reached the hospital and questioned how Chinese manjha continued to be available for sale despite strict government orders. He said strict action should be taken against those involved in its sale and distribution.

Dr Kaushal Kumar of Eshan Hospital said the boy suffered injuries to the neck, upper lip, cheek and ear, while a finger was also injured in the incident. He underwent emergency surgery and is expected to require several weeks for complete recovery, the doctor said.

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The SP said police will launch a fresh drive against those selling Chinese manjha and identify its supply channels. “One aspect is enforcement against those selling this string. We have conducted drives in the past as well and will launch another drive. During the last campaign, 14 FIRs were registered and a substantial quantity of the thread was seized,” he said.

Police would also focus on tracing supply channels through which the material reaches consumers, he added.

According to officials, the deadly thread is often sourced separately and is not necessarily sold specifically as kite string, making enforcement more challenging. Pareek said police would also focus on awareness measures to discourage the use of Chinese manjha by children and kite flyers.

Bareilly has a long tradition of manufacturing cotton kite string through local artisans, police said, but officials maintain that the banned nylon thread poses a significantly greater risk because it does not break easily and can cause severe injuries.

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The state government had issued strict orders to run drives across the state to check sale of the Chinese manjha following the death of a medical representative in Lucknow a few months ago. The Allahabad High Court too had taken serious cognisance of the incidents causing injuries and death and had pulled up the state government over negligence in keeping check on use of the string.

(Shruti Gupta is an intern with The Indian Express)

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