Plaint by Arjun's family: Manaf to be removed from list of accused, made witness

Kozhikode: Lorry owner Manaf will be removed from the list of accused in the case filed by Arjun's family. The decision came after a review of Manaf's YouTube channel, where no defamatory content was found. Instead, Manaf will now be a witness in the case. Although Arjun's family did not request charges against Manaf, his name was initially included in the investigation.

The Chevayur police registered the case after recording a statement from Arjun's family. The family clarified that their complaint was not against Manaf, but against those who posted defamatory comments under his YouTube videos and on other social media platforms.

It was on Thursday that Arjun’s sister, Anju, lodged a plaint with the Kozhikode Commissioner, reporting that her family had been subjected to severe online harassment after making allegations against Manaf.

"Manaf and expert diver Eshwar Malpe used our family’s grief for their personal benefit, including generating revenue through their YouTube channels," the family alleged. They also claimed that Manaf raised funds in Arjun's name without their permission. However, both Manaf and Malpe have denied these accusations. "I apologise if I made any mistakes unknowingly. Even though a case has been filed, I will stand by the family. I started the YouTube channel to provide updates from Shirur as suggested by media outlets and have not used it since Arjun’s body was recovered," Manaf said on Friday.

Arjun, a native of Kannadikkal in Kozhikode, went missing on July 16 after a massive landslide in Shirur, Karnataka, while transporting a truckload of wood to Kerala. His body was recovered from the Gangavali River on September 25 after a 72-day search.