2 held for selling banned kite-flying material

: Two persons have been arrested here on the charge of illegally procuring, selling and stocking the banned Chinese manja and glass-coated manja used for flying kites, police said.

Acting on a tip-off, a raid was conducted on a shop Friday and the two were caught, a police press release said.

The synthetic nylon Chinese manja bobbins and other material worth Rs 1.60 lakh were seized from the shop, the release said.

Action would be taken against the arrested two under relevant sections of India Penal Code and also the environmental protection Act, 1986, the release said.

The Chinese manja was harmful to animals and man. Manja is an abrasive string which is gummed, coloured and coated with powdered glass used to flying kites.

On Thursday, police commissioner Anjani Kumar, in an order, had said, "In order to maintain law and order, peace and tranquility and to prevent incidents of breach of peace and accident that are likely to occur, kite-flying is regulated during the celebration of Sankranti festival in the city from January 14-15.