1 dead, 1 injured as kite string slits throats of motorists

MUMBAI: A 21-year-old motorbike rider died on Sunday afternoon when a kite string slit his throat in Borivali, while another 41-year-old motorcycle rider sustained severe injuries in a similar incident in Vile Parle on Sunday evening.

The deceased, identified as Mohammed Shahid Israeli, was a resident of Dharavi and was returning home at 2.15pm on Sunday when the incident took place. Ninad Sawant, senior police inspector of Borivali police station said that the victim was riding his motorcycle wearing a helmet while his friend was sitting pillion. When they reached the Sumer Nagar bridge en route to the Western Express Highway, a kite string slit Israeli’s throat. He was rushed to Shatabdi Hospital, where he died hours later on Sunday night.

The Borivali police have booked an unknown person under section 304A of the Indian Penal Code for causing death by negligence. “We are trying to trace the owner of the kite due to which the man died,” said Sawant.

Israeli is the second person to be killed in Mumbai this season due to a kite string injury. In a similar incident, on December 25, police constable Suresh Jadhav, 37, attached to the Dindoshi police was on the Vakola flyover in Santacruz east when a kite string slit his throat, killing him on the spot.

Mumbai police began a drive against the sale of dangerous nylon manja kite strings after Jadhav’s death. They have registered 12 FIRs and arrested 57 people for selling nylon kite strings in the interim, said officials. Nylon kite strings worth ₹1.43 lakh were also seized from the arrested accused, they added.

Meanwhile, Jalinder Bhagwan Nemane, a security personnel, sustained severe injuries after his throat was slit by a kite string near the Western Express Highway in Vile Parle on Sunday evening. The deceased was on his way home towards Dadar when the incident occurred.

“As the thread was very thin, the victim did not notice it until he felt pain in his throat. He then realised that his throat had been slit by a nylon manja,” said an officer from Vile Parle police.

Police later booked an unknown person for violating a prohibitory order issued by the commissioner of police under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servants) and 336 (endangering life) of the Indian Penal Code as well as the Environment Protection Act.