CHENNAI: A police couple suffered injuries due to illegal kite-flying using the abrasive manja thread in Chennai.
M Jayakumar, a traffic police inspector, his wife J Maheswari, also a police head constable, were riding on a motorbike on Sunday night on the Padi flyover when a manja thread slit Jayakumar's neck. Maheswari, who was riding pillion, also suffered injuries as Jayakumar lost control of the bike in the impact and the bike skid on the road.
Recalling the incident, Maheshwari, said, "The bike skidded as Jayakumar lost balance and both of us fell on the road. It took a while for us to comprehend what had happened and I found my husband bleeding
from his neck when I tried to lift him."
The couple was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment and then shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for treatment. Jayakumar got stitches in his neck and was unable to speak, while Maheshwari sustained bruises due to the fall.
On information, Villivakkam police registered a case and a hunt has been launched for the kite flyers. Meanwhile, Villivakkam law and order inspector Rajeesh Babu was transferred to the control room on
Monday as a departmental action for being unable to curb kite flying in his jurisdiction.
Though there is a ban of kite flying in the city, the incidents of people getting injured because of manja thread which is used for flying kites continue to get reported. City police recently started monitoring the kite flyers using binoculars from highrise buildings in their jurisdiction.
Jayakumar is serving as a traffic constable in Vepery and his wife Maheshwari, a head constable attached to the Central Crime Branch. They were returning from home of a relative and headed to duty when
the incident took place.