Man riding motorcycle dies as manja slits his throat in Bidar

A 48-year-old man was killed after a kite string (manja) slit his throat while he was riding a motorcycle at Talmadgi village in Chitaguppa taluk of Bidar district on Wednesday.

Chinese manja (glass-coated string) for kite flying is banned but it continues to be used.

The deceased has been identified as Sanjukumar Gundappa Hosamani. He is survived by his wife, a son and three daughters.

According to the police and eyewitnesses, the incident occurred near a bridge at Talmadgi when Hosamani was riding his motorcycle to Humnabad town to bring back his daughter who studies at a residential school for the Sankranti holiday.

The manja got entangled around his neck, causing a deep cut that led to profuse bleeding. He reportedly fell off the bike and collapsed on the spot, succumbing to the injuries before help could arrive.

Eyewitnesses said that the sharp kite string caused severe bleeding, leaving him no chance of survival.

Kite flying is common during the Sankranti festival in the Humnabad and Chitaguppa regions where manja is widely used, especially for competitive kite-flying.