The Delhi High Court has instructed the Delhi Government to establish a new policy within eight weeks for providing compensation to victims of fatalities or limb injuries resulting from the use of Chinese Manjha. The court has requested the government to present the policy in court.
The High Court expressed distress over the recurrent incidents where individuals are losing their lives and limbs due to Chinese Manjha annually.
The High Court has instructed the Delhi Police to take action against individuals involved in manufacturing and selling the Manjha. Additionally, the court has requested a report on this matter. Justice Subramonium Prasad issued this directive during the hearing of several petitions, noting that it seems the State Government has not yet formulated the policy, and no status report has been submitted by Delhi Police.
“The State Government is directed to frame the policy and file it in Court within eight weeks from today,” Justice Prasad ordered on April 29.
The High Court has summoned the most recent status report from the Delhi police. “Let the latest status report be filed as well by the Delhi Police showing the action taken against those persons who are manufacturing and selling Chinese Manjha from the year 2017 to 2024,” Justice Prasad directed.
The case has been scheduled for further hearing on August 23, 2024. The High Court noted that it has issued several orders instructing the respondents to take measures to prevent the sale of Chinese Manjha in the market.
“Though Orders under have been passed by this Court, this Court is pained to note that a number of persons are losing their life and limbs because of Chinese Manjha year after year,” Justice Prasad expressed his displeasure.
On August 9, 2023, the High Court instructed the Delhi Police to submit a status report detailing the actions taken against individuals involved in manufacturing and selling Chinese Manjha. Additionally, the State Government was directed to submit a comprehensive policy for compensating individuals who have suffered fatalities or limb injuries due to such accidents.
In April 2023, the Delhi High Court directed the Delhi Police to persist in their efforts to prevent the sale of prohibited Chinese Manjha in Delhi during the kite-flying season and the Independence Day period.
“It is directed that Delhi Police shall continue to take steps to restrain the sale of Chinese manjha in Delhi even during the forthcoming Independence Day period, which is the kite-flying season,” Justice Prathiba Singh said in the order passed on August 8.
The High Court also examined the status report detailing the measures implemented by the Delhi police to curb the sale of Chinese Manjha in the national capital.
“A perusal of the above would show that steps are being taken by the Delhi Police to stop the sale of Chinese manjha within the territory of Delhi. The Delhi Police have also interacted with the e-commerce websites and have sensitised them of the danger of selling Chinese manjha,” the bench noted.
The Delhi High Court was reviewing the petition filed by the relatives of four bikers whose deaths resulted from the use of Chinese Manjha, along with another petitioner. They have requested compensation from the Delhi Government and adherence to regulations and advisories issued by the authorities.
In February 2023, the bench instructed the crime branch to probe the four death cases that occurred in August 2021, July, and August 2022. FIRs have already been lodged.
The court had directed, ” The crime branch of Delhi police shall investigate the case and file a comprehensive Status and an affidavit within six weeks.”
The court specified that the status report should include details about the manufacturers/importers selling the Chinese Manjha, the markets where it is available, whether the shopkeepers are named as accused or not, and the status of the FIR or any other FIR filed.
The Indian government banned Chinese Manjha in 2017.
