A retired soldier, Naib Subedar Lakhvinder Singh, was killed after a banned Chinese kite string — commonly known as manja — sliced through his throat while he was riding his two-wheeler on the Ring Road in Jammu late Sunday evening, 31 August. Officials confirmed the fatality on Monday, calling it a road accident caused by the deadly synthetic string.

How the Incident Unfolded

According to officials, Lakhvinder Singh was passing through the Bishnah area on his two-wheeler when he came into contact with the killer string strung across the road. He sustained critical throat injuries and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds.

Singh had been returning to his home in the R.S. Pura area after completing a shift at an industrial unit in Bari Brahmana, where he worked as a private security guard following his retirement from the armed forces.

Ban in Place, Enforcement Under Scrutiny

The sale and use of Chinese manja is prohibited under existing regulations in Jammu and Kashmir. Authorities have conducted crackdowns in the recent past, arresting several shopkeepers across Jammu for clandestinely dealing in the banned material. Despite these efforts, the string's continued availability on the streets has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of enforcement.

Residents in the area have demanded strict action against those selling and using the prohibited string, particularly in the wake of this fatal incident. This is not an isolated concern — manja-related deaths and injuries have been reported across India in previous years, prompting courts and governments to impose bans that have been inconsistently enforced.

Police Investigation Under Way

Officials confirmed that police have registered a case under relevant sections of law. An investigation is ongoing to identify those responsible for leaving the string across the road and to bring them to justice, according to authorities.

Veteran Welfare Context

The death has drawn attention to the vulnerability of ex-servicemen who take up second-career employment in the region. The Zila Sainik Welfare Office (ZSWO) Jammu oversees veteran welfare, documentation, and re-employment support for ex-servicemen in the district. The Jammu and Kashmir government has also approved the deployment of 4,000 ex-servicemen volunteers across the Union Territory for non-combatant static guard duties, protecting critical infrastructure such as power stations and bridges in coordination with local police and the District Sainik Welfare Board.

As authorities pursue the investigation, the incident is expected to intensify pressure on the administration to enforce the manja ban more rigorously before the kite-flying season peaks.