Nagpur: In an unusually stern rebuke, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has come down heavily on District Collectors across Vidarbha for brazenly ignoring its binding orders banning the use and sale of deadly nylon manja, a menace that continues to claim lives and cause grievous injuries every year.
The High Court had earlier imposed stringent penalties of Rs 50,000 on users and Rs 2.5 lakh on sellers of nylon kite string, besides directing all District Collectors in Vidarbha to publish prominent public notices spelling out these fines on the front pages of leading Marathi, Hindi and English newspapers. However, the court was told that barring the Nagpur District Collector, none of the others bothered to comply, prompting sharp judicial ire.
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12 Jan 2026
Taking serious and grave note of this open defiance, the High Court on Monday severely reprimanded the erring Collectors and ordered them to immediately implement its directions without any further excuse or delay. The bench made it clear that the penalties already prescribed will continue to remain in force, and any person seeking to object to the fines must do so before the next hearing scheduled on January 8.
To ensure that the message reaches every citizen, the court directed all District Collectors in Vidarbha, including Nagpur, to publish the mandatory public notices in leading newspapers on Tuesday, January 7. The directions were issued during a hearing before Justice Anil Kilor and Justice Raj Wakode.
The court expressed strong displeasure over the fact that despite repeated orders since 2021, the sale and use of nylon manja continues openly year after year, reflecting what it termed as a complete administrative failure. Observing the lack of effective enforcement, the High Court had earlier taken suo motu cognisance of the issue and registered a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
DCPs, SPs put on notice
In a clear warning to the police machinery, the High Court ruled that Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) across Vidarbha will be held personally accountable if nylon manja is found in their jurisdiction or if any accident occurs due to its use. The bench cautioned that in the absence of objections, the court would be free to initiate the strictest possible action against the responsible officers.
The message from the High Court was unequivocal: Continued administrative apathy towards the nylon manja menace will no longer be tolerated.
