Delhi Police busts Chinese manjha racket; 2 held

Delhi Police has busted an illegal Chinese manjha racket and arrested two men after recovering 2,040 rolls of banned synthetic kite string from the Uttam Nagar area, an officer said on Sunday.

Police said the seizure potentially prevented several fatal accidents and serious injuries to pedestrians, bikers, children, and birds, as incidents involving hazardous synthetic manjha witness a spike during festive and kite-flying seasons.

The accused have been identified as Shanky Singhal alias Kaalu, 36, and Manmohan, 52, both residents of Uttam Nagar, he said.

According to police, the operation was carried out by the Crime Branch following a tip-off about the illegal storage of banned Chinese manjha at Hanuman Market in Uttam Nagar.

During the raid, police recovered 34 cartons containing 60 rolls each of synthetic kite string from a ground-floor premises in the market.

“The banned manjha was being stocked for sale ahead of the Independence Day kite-flying season. During interrogation, Shanky disclosed that he had procured the consignment from a wholesale kite trader, Manmohan, based in Uttam Nagar, to earn quick profits during the festive season,” the officer said.

Subsequently, Manmohan was traced and arrested. During questioning, he admitted that he had sourced and supplied the banned synthetic string due to high market demand and lucrative returns.

Police said Chinese manjha has been prohibited through gazetted notifications issued by competent authorities because of the danger posed by its sharp synthetic coating, which has led to fatal injuries and electrocution incidents in the past.

Police said Shanky was previously involved in a 2018 case registered at Uttam Nagar police station related to assault and provisions of the POCSO Act, while Manmohan had been earlier booked in a 2023 case at Bindapur police station.