Nagpur: In a major crackdown, the Nagpur Crime Branch seized a total of 123 rolls of banned nylon manja in a series of operations conducted on December 9 and 10. The preventive drive, ahead of the Makar Sankranti festival, resulted in the arrest of multiple suspects and the confiscation of goods valued at over ₹3.81 lakh.
On December 9, at around 6:45 PM, Crime Branch Unit 5 raided a spot near S.K. Automobiles in Wathoda and detained Akash Ajay Shahu, 23, from Shaktimata Nagar, Nandanvan. The team seized 17 rolls of nylon manja and a mobile phone worth ₹32,000. The accused disclosed that the manja belonged to an accomplice, Shahid.
Later that evening, at 9:30 PM, Unit 3 officers intercepted a moped near Adarsh Nagar’s Hanuman Temple, apprehending Shamim Shakil Khan, 18, and Pratik Ram Srivastava, 18. A search revealed 50 rolls of manja valued at ₹1.55 lakh.
In the early hours of December 10, Unit 4 officers intercepted a car near Chikhli Chowk, Kalamna. They confiscated 56 rolls of manja, a mobile phone, and a car worth ₹1.94 lakh, detaining Khushal Sukhdev Shahu, 20.
Nagpur Police have urged citizens to avoid using banned manja, citing environmental and safety risks.