13 January,2025 07:59 AM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar Sharma
The man’s shows his slashed neck (right) the tangled kite strings. Pics/Hanif Patel
A 39-year-old motorcyclist, who was out with his wife and 10-year-old son on Sunday evening, suffered serious injuries when a banned synthetic plastic manja got entangled around his neck in the Madhuban area of Vasai, where a kite festival is organised by Suraksha Smart City.
The victim Vikram Dange works in the sales department of an automobile company. His wife immediately removed her dupatta and wrapped it around his neck before he was taken to a nearby hospital. "A total nine stitches were administered at a multi-speciality hospital in Vasai," said his wife Neetal Dange.
Neetal told mid-day, "My husband was riding the motorcycle, and I was sitting pillion with our 10-year-old son. When we reached the Madhuban area, my husband suddenly screamed, âArey, arey!'. I turned to see a cobweb of sharp kite strings around his neck.
"By the time I could hold these strings my husband's neck was badly cut. After he stopped the motorcycle, I immediately removed my dupatta and wrapped it around his neck which had started to ooze blood. His T-shirt got stained with blood. It was a scary moment for us, but none of the passers-by came to help us," Neetal said.
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"I called my husband's friends who were nearby and they immediately arrived and rushed him to a hospital. There was a deep wound around his neck and he received nine stitches," Neetal said.
"Strong legal action must be taken against the organiser of this ongoing kite festival which has risked the lives of many people. Who permitted them to organise a kite festival using the banned manja? And what is the police doing? Do the police wait for someone like my husband to get injured to initiate action? I will submit a complaint against this organiser. I won't spare anyone in this matter," Neetal added.
A team from Valiv police station rushed to the spot and the kite festival was suspended for a while. At the time of going to the press, the cops had been conducting panchanama at the accident spot."We will record the statement of the victim in this matter and initiate legal action," said a police officer.
