AMRITSAR, June 21– In a tragic incident that has sparked outrage and renewed calls for strict enforcement, a 44-year-old doctor lost his life after a synthetic kite string allegedly slit his throat while he was en route to work on Thursday evening.
The victim, Dr Shamsher Singh, a resident of Chungawala Bazaar on Sultanwind Road, was heading to a private hospital on Airport Road where he was on night duty when the fatal incident occurred.
According to his nephew Hartej Singh, Dr Singh was riding along the city’s elevated road when a Chinese manjha — a synthetic kite string known for its razor-sharp coating — got entangled around his neck. “He struggled to free himself, but the string cut deep into his throat,” he said. Passersby rushed him to the hospital, but he succumbed to excessive blood loss before receiving treatment.
Dr Singh is survived by his wife Tanya and two young daughters — Leharpreet Kaur (8) and Mehak (4).
The incident has reignited concerns over the continued illegal sale and use of Chinese manjha despite bans. Advocate Harsimran Singh, president of Just Seva Society, an NGO campaigning against synthetic kite strings, said, “This horrific death again highlights the administration’s failure to enforce the ban on these deadly strings. How many more lives must be lost?”
This marks the second such fatality in the city in recent months. On October 15, 2024, Haramrital Singh alias Rajan, a railway employee, died in a similar incident.
Chinese manjha is officially banned in India due to its lethal potential for both humans and birds, but it remains widely available through illegal markets. Despite multiple warnings and previous tragedies, enforcement remains patchy.
Local authorities have yet to issue a formal response on the latest incident. However, civic groups and concerned citizens are urging immediate action to identify and punish those responsible for the continued sale of banned kite strings.
The district police have launched a probe, but no arrests had been reported at the time of filing this report.
