Ahmedabad: Ahead of the Uttarayan festival, the Ahmedabad Rural Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) seized a large consignment of banned Chinese kite string from the Sanand police station area. The seized material, valued at ₹7.48 lakh, was illegally stocked for sale despite a district-wide ban.

Acting on a tip-off, the SOG detained three persons—Bhikhabhai Shantilal Rana, his son Rajubhai Bhikhabhai Rana, and Ashokbhai Muljibhai Thakor, residents of Nani Golwad in Sanand—who were allegedly selling the banned kite string from rooms at a farmhouse on the outskirts of Ranmalgadh village. Police recovered 39 sealed boxes containing 1,872 reels of banned Chinese kite string worth ₹7,48,800. Legal action has been initiated against the accused.

In another development, Bavla police seized banned Chinese kite string worth ₹52,100 in two separate cases as part of the strict enforcement of prohibitory orders issued by the district magistrate.

In the first case, police arrested Vikram Sardar Thakor from Trimurti Complex in Bavla town and seized four reels of banned kite string valued at ₹1,600. In the second case, Rahul Solanki was caught during patrolling near Government College on the Bavla–Sarkhej highway with 101 reels of banned kite string worth ₹50,500.

Police said strict action will continue against those involved in the manufacture, sale, or use of banned Chinese kite string ahead of the festival. DeshGujarat