HUBBALLI: In a tragic incident in which kite manja claimed another life in the city. The woman, who was travelling on a motorcycle, sustained fatal injuries after a kite manja string got caught around her neck. She died on the spot.
The deceased identified as Vidhya Manjunath Goudar, 38, was working as a lab technician in a private firm and when she was returning to the lab from her residence the accident occurred near Siddharoodha Mutt, within the jurisdiction of the Old Hubballi police station.
Large numbers of public and lab staff gathered at the hospital. Her body was shifted to the mortuary of the KIMS Hospital in Hubballi for a post-mortem examination.
Hubballi Dharwad Police Commissioner Bhushan Borase visited the mortuary at KIMS Hospital and inspected the body of the deceased woman. He also gathered information from her family members.
"We will identify those who are using manja. Under no circumstances should manja be used to fly kites. Criminal cases will be registered against those who use it. Cases will also be filed against those who sell it," he warned.
This is the third incident in Hubballi in the last one months. Two other cases were reported in Old Hubballi and Bankapur Chowk areas where three people were injured due to tangling manja thread.
The HD police has released an advisory and sought public help in stopping the usage and sale of manja thread in Hubballi and Dharwad. The police has also asked to contact 112 helpline in case they come across any threads tangling from electric wires. The police have also warned people not to resort to removing the threads, rather inform the police.
The police have formed a special team to identify and remove manja threads. They have also sought information on the places in Hubballi and Dharwad where kite flying is played regularly. The police commissioner has warned that 10 year jail terms for those who sell and use manja thread.