ASI injured by manja on Maa Flyover, urgent KMDA action sought
Times of India | 11 August 2026
Kolkata: A 57-year-old assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of the Kolkata Police Special Branch was seriously injured on Sunday evening after a glass-coated kite string (manja) cut his neck while he was riding a bike on the Maa Flyover.
The victim, Sanjib Nag, a resident of Sector II in Salt Lake, was returning home around 5.30 pm when the sharp thread snapped across his throat on the flyover, close to the Park Circus 7-Point Crossing.
He lost control of his two-wheeler and fell on the road. Locals rescued the officer and rushed him to Manipal Broadway Hospital in Salt Lake, where he is undergoing treatment.
Nag said in his official complaint, “On Aug 9, around 5.30 pm, I was returning home towards Salt Lake from work when the incident happened. I suffered a deep cut on my throat. As a result, I lost control and fell on the road, suffering bleeding injuries.”
This is the 28th serious kite-thread accident recorded along the stretch since 2022. It breaks a two-year gap in reported incidents on the flyover, where six other police personnel, including a woman ASI and a KP commando, were earlier injured by manja.
In the wake of the latest tragedy, the East Traffic Guard of Kolkata Police has decided to formally write to the KMDA again urging immediate safety measures. Police records demonstrate that accident rates dropped significantly in areas where wire nets were previously installed to act as thread cutters. However, key sections remain completely exposed.