Hubballi police book 16 manja cases after fatal kite string death; RSS marks Vijayadashami

The death of 38-year-old Vidya Manjunath Goudar, whose daily scooter ride turned fatal when a hanging kite manja string cut her throat, prompted swift enforcement action across the Hubballi-Dharwad twin cities. Police booked 16 cases in two days, raided over a hundred sites, and removed dozens of dangerous strings left hanging near busy kite-flying areas. Separately, the RSS conducted its annual Vijayadashami route march in Hubballi after receiving conditional permission from local authorities.

Police step up manja crackdown after woman dies from kite string injury

Vidya Manjunath Goudar, a 38-year-old resident of Hubballi, died after a kite manja string hanging in the air slashed her throat while she was riding her scooter. In the two days following her death, Hubballi-Dharwad police registered 16 cases against individuals found to be selling or using the synthetic manja thread, which is prohibited under law. On one day alone, five additional cases were booked in Hubballi. As part of the crackdown, officers seized 125 reels of the banned manja thread and eight kites. Police inspected 124 locations and 67 shops across the twin cities and visited 69 sites frequently used for kite flying, removing 63 manja strings found hanging dangerously at road level. Investigators noted that the banned synthetic thread was being smuggled into the twin cities from other states; they also said they could not rule out the possibility that some local youngsters were making it themselves using glass powder. Kite enthusiasts have typically sought out strong synthetic manja because it helps them snap rival kites during flying competitions held around Dasara. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and several local elected representatives, including MLAs Prasad Abbayya and Mahesh Tenginakai and MLC Basavaraj Horatti, called on officials to enforce a complete ban on the sale of manja thread. Hubballi-Dharwad police commissioner Bhushan Borase asked citizens to report any information about the thread's availability in local markets. [3]

🪔 RSS holds Vijayadashami route march in Hubballi with conditional approval

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh conducted its annual Vijayadashami route march in Hubballi after police granted conditional permission for the procession to take place. The question of police clearance for the marches became a matter of public discussion in Karnataka, with outcomes varying by district: permission was granted conditionally for Kalaburagi and Hubballi, while it was denied in Tumakuru. In Kalaburagi, the Deputy Commissioner of Police gave the march a time-bound approval, allowing it to begin at 3.30 pm on the day. The procession in Kalaburagi was to start from Nagareshwar School and conclude at Sharanabasaveshwara Jatra Grounds, following the formal submission of the prescribed forms to the Home Department. Preparations for the broader Vijayadashami programme were reported to be progressing in both Hubballi and Mysuru in the days leading up to the event. The RSS observes Vijayadashami each year as a day of particular significance, marking the conclusion of Navaratri with a ceremonial route march at its shakhas across the country. The varying decisions by police commissioners in different Karnataka districts about whether and under what conditions to allow the marches reflected the discretion each commissioner applied to their assessment of local law and order conditions. [5]

Sources: [3] Deccan Herald · [5] The New Indian Express