A 40-year-old techie died after a stray 'manja' kite thread slit his throat in the Maduravoyal bypass in Chennai on Tuesday. C Siva Prakasham lost control of his bike and rammed into the iron railing on the road side. He died on the spot, while his father Chandrasekaran (73), who was riding pillion, was injured, according to The New Indian Express.
The incident occurred along the Anakaputhur stretch of the Chennai bypass. The techie worked in a private company in Thiruvanmiyur and is survived by his wife and two daughters.
According to the report, Siva attempted to push away the thread when he lost balance. He sustained injuries to his neck, face and hand. Siva and his father were reportedly rushed to the hospital by passers-by, but Siva was declared 'brought dead'. His father Chandrasekaran, meanwhile, is being treated at a private hospital.
Police have told TNIE that the father and son lived in Kolathur and were returning home from Agaramthen village, where they were visiting a land. This incident occurred around 5.54pm.
Police reportedly suspect that the 'manja' thread, which is made of ground glass and used to cut other kites, had snapped on contact with a bigger vehicle before it slit Siva's neck.
They are probing if any groups were involved in flying manja kites in the bypass, which is popular among kite flyers.
In 2015, following the death of 4 people in three years, the Chennai police issued a prohibitory order banning flying kites with manja. Even before the prohibitory orders, the ban on the sale and use of manja had been in existence under section 71 of the City police act. The order was issued after the death of a five-year-old boy due to the manja thread in Perambur.