Madhya Pradesh Court Holds Guardians Responsible for Minors Using Chinese String

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that guardians can be held legally accountable if minors use banned Chinese string for kite flying. The court emphasised the need for strict enforcement of regulations to prevent accidents and deaths associated with this hazardous material.

India

-Krishna Kripa

The
Madhya
Pradesh
High
Court’s
Indore
bench
has
instructed
the
state
government
to
enforce
the
prohibition
on
Chinese
manja
strictly.
The
court
highlighted
that
if
a
minor
is
caught
using
this
banned
kite
string,
their
guardians
could
face
legal
consequences.
This
decision
came
from
Justices
Vijay
Kumar
Shukla
and
Alok
Awasthi,
who
emphasised
public
awareness
about
the
legal
repercussions
of
selling
or
using
Chinese
manja.

During
a
recent
hearing,
the
state
government
informed
the
court
about
ongoing
efforts
to
halt
the
sale
of
Chinese
manja.
They
are
implementing
various
safety
measures
to
prevent
accidents
related
to
this
kite
string.
The
government
also
plans
to
launch
awareness
campaigns
in
both
print
and
electronic
media
to
discourage
its
use
and
sale.

Legal
Implications
and
Public
Awareness

The
court
directed
that
anyone
found
selling
or
using
Chinese
manja
could
face
prosecution
under
Section
1061
of
the
Bharatiya
Nyaya
Sanhita,
2023,
or
Section
304-A
of
the
IPC
for
causing
death
by
negligence.
The
high
court
stressed
that
guardians
of
minors
using
this
string
could
also
be
held
accountable.
These
directives
aim
to
curb
the
dangerous
practice
effectively.

Indore
district
magistrate
Shivam
Verma
assured
the
court
that
necessary
orders
would
be
issued
promptly.
These
orders
will
be
circulated
to
neighbouring
districts
to
ensure
widespread
compliance
with
the
high
court’s
directions.
The
administration
is
committed
to
taking
swift
action
in
line
with
these
instructions.

Recent
Incidents
and
Enforcement
Measures

In
recent
months,
two
tragic
incidents
in
Indore
involved
fatalities
due
to
Chinese
manja.
A
16-year-old
boy
and
a
45-year-old
man
lost
their
lives
when
their
throats
were
allegedly
cut
by
this
sharp
string.
Despite
its
ban,
kite
flyers
continue
using
it
to
gain
an
advantage
over
rivals
during
kite-flying
competitions.

The
high
court
took
suo
motu
cognisance
of
these
incidents
on
December
11,
2025.
This
proactive
approach
underscores
the
urgency
of
addressing
the
dangers
posed
by
Chinese
manja.
The
court’s
intervention
aims
to
prevent
further
accidents
and
fatalities
linked
to
this
hazardous
kite
string.

Efforts
are
underway
to
ensure
compliance
with
the
ban
on
Chinese
manja
across
Madhya
Pradesh.
By
raising
public
awareness
and
enforcing
legal
measures,
authorities
hope
to
eliminate
the
risks
associated
with
this
dangerous
practice.
The
focus
remains
on
safeguarding
lives
and
promoting
safer
alternatives
for
kite
flying
enthusiasts.

With
inputs
from
PTI