Kerala: Arjun's family accuses lorry owner of exploiting grief after his death in Shirur landslide

Kozhikode: A week after Kozhikode native Arjun, who tragically died in a landslide in Karnataka's Shirur, and his truck were recovered from the Gangavali River after a 72-day search, Arjun's family has accused lorry owner Manaf of exploiting their grief for personal gain. They have also warned that they will pursue legal action if Manaf continues manipulating their emotions for his own benefit.

Emotional farewell: Mortal remains of Arjun cremated in Kozhikode, thousands pay homage

Manaf gained widespread attention on social media, being hailed as the 'face of humanity' after his emotional appeal, claiming that he did not want his truck back and only wished for Arjun's mortal remains to be returned to his family. However, Arjun's family has now accused Manaf of exploiting their grief for personal gain, alleging that he continues to capitalize on their tragedy, by boosting viewership for his YouTube channel, which features Arjun's face as the profile picture.

Jithin, Arjun’s brother-in-law, accused Manaf of merely engaging in PR work, while praising Manaf’s brother and the lorry’s RC owner, Mubeen, for genuinely supporting the family. Arjun’s mother demanded that Manaf should not associate Arjun’s name with his lorry. 

"We repeatedly asked Manaf to stop capitalizing on their emotional situation. Despite this, he continued using Arjun’s name for his own benefit. Manaf discouraged efforts to bring in a dredger and even formed an action committee, leading to several disputes with the family. Jithin mentioned that during the third phase of the search, the local administration got significantly involved," said Jithin.

In the media interview, Arjun's family expressed their disapproval of any funds being raised in his name. "Many people have been donating to various funds set up in Arjun's honor. We want to make it clear that we are unaware of this and do not want any money collected in his name. Manaf and a few others approached us with a sum they claimed was raised for Arjun. It felt like a publicity stunt."

"Manaf's claim that he would raise Arjun's son as his fourth child deeply hurt us. Our only wish was for Arjun's body to be found and returned, a promise made by the Karnataka chief minister. Manaf insisted on including 20 experts from here in the search operation, which was impractical without proper authorization. The same applies to Eshwar Malpe (the expert diver). Their theatrics during the third phase of the search were nothing but drama. Both have YouTube channels, and it seemed like they were just trying to boost their viewership," stated a family member.

Meanwhile, Manaf defended his actions, stating that the YouTube channel was created solely to provide the public with timely updates on the rescue operation. "I also intended it as digital evidence for future reference, and there was no effort to raise funds," he explained.

On September 28, Arjun’s body was cremated on the premises of his house at Kannadikkal, Kozhikode.

• Arjun
• Karnataka landslide
• Shirur landslide
• Arjun landslide
• Manaf