Ahead of Sankranti, Banned Manja Floods Market Despite Crackdown

Hyderabad: Bulk supplies of killer Chinese manja are allegedly stocked eight months in advance of the kite festival to evade police action, a ‘Deccan Chronicle’ investigation has revealed. Cartons of the prohibited nylon thread are reportedly dumped at Musheerabad, Charminar, Gulzar Houz (First Lancer) and Dhoolpet.

Sources said dealers procured high‑demand brands from Delhi to cater to kite flyers in the city.

While over 210 shops in the twin cities sell traditional cotton manja — locally known as che (six) taar, nav (nine) taar and bara (12) taar — some traders were allegedly adopting clandestine methods to overcome the heightened police surveillance and the government’s ban against the Chinese manja. About 20 per cent are allegedly selling Chinese manja at secret locations, sources claimed.

“Despite warnings, demand for Chinese manja has surged. Some exploit the demand for quick money, ignoring the risks to life,” said a kite shop owner, adding that a few former marijuana peddlers had shifted to the banned trade as a seasonal business.

The trend of using Chinese manja began nearly nine years ago, sources said. “Many youngsters prefer shortcuts —‘dalte hi katna’ — and lack patience or knowledge of traditional kite‑flying techniques, endangering others,” said Abhinav, a seasoned kite flyer. He asserted that traditional bara taar can cut Chinese manja and urged flyers to return to safer practices.

Traditional sellers noted that chemically processed Chinese manja, made of nylon coated with glass and dye, remains unbreakable even after soaking in water. Each carton weighs about 22 kg and is transported by road from Delhi, Nagpur and northeastern states.

City police commissioner V.C. Sajjanar said a special drive against Chinese manja was underway across Hyderabad. “In the last four days (January 8 to 11), police seized 2,150 bobbins of Chinese manja worth Rs 43 lakh, registered 29 cases and arrested 57 persons,” he said.

“In the past month alone, 132 cases were registered, 8,376 bobbins worth Rs 1.68 crore were seized and 200 persons arrested,” Sajjanar added, warning that selling or buying the banned manja attracts imprisonment. He appealed to the public to use safe threads and celebrate Sankranti responsibly.

Retired ASI dies of stroke in theatre

A retired assistant sub-inspector (ASI) died, reportedly due to a suspected heart stroke, while watching a movie in Hyderabad on Sunday. The incident occurred during the 11 am show.

Police said that on watching the victim, Anand Kumar, collapse, theatre staff and fellow viewers rushed to his aid. Police officials arrived promptly, identified him, and shifted him to a nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Kumar’s wife is reportedly unwell, while his son lives in Canada and has been informed of the incident. Officials are gathering details and speaking with theatre employees and patrons to confirm the circumstances leading up to the collapse.

Preliminary opinion during the postmortem at Gandhi Hospital suggested a heart stroke was the likely cause of death, though formal confirmation is awaited. It is not yet clear whether Kumar had any pre-existing health conditions or if external factors contributed to the medical emergency inside the cinema hall.

The movie being screened was Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, starring Chiranjeevi, Nayanthara, Daggubati Venkatesh and others, directed by Anil Ravipudi.