Bengaluru, Oct. 23 -- Terming the tragic death of a woman in Hubballi a "preventable tragedy," Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday vowed stringent action against the sale and use of banned manja threads, warning that knowingly endangering public safety is not mere negligence but a criminal offence.

The minister's statement came following the death of Vidya Manjunath Gowdar, who died after a sharp manja thread got entangled around her neck while she was travelling on a scooter in Hubballi.

Calling the incident "deeply distressing and utterly unacceptable," Parameshwara stated that human life cannot become the cost of casual celebration.

"The tragic death of Vidya Manjunath Gowdar of Hubballi, who lost her life after a sharp...