Kozhikode: The controversy that erupted following the funeral of Arjun, who died in the accident at Shirur, has come to an end. The disagreement between the truck owner, Manaf, and Arjun’s family was amicably resolved during a mediation meeting that brought together both parties.
Manaf said they are a family, and it is normal to have small issues. Arjun's brother-in-law, Jithin, added that the post-press conference discussions deviated from his intended message.
Manaf was joined by family members Mubeen, Alaf Nisham, Abdul Wali, and Sajid. Apart from Jithin, who represented Arjun’s family were his sister, Anju, his brother, Abhijith, and their relative, Sreenish.
Human rights activist Noushad Thekkayil and social worker Vinod Mekoth led the mediation, with Khader Karippody, Al Babu, and Saikrishna facilitating the discussions.
On October 2, Arjun’s family accused Manaf and expert diver Eshwar Malpe of exploiting their grief for personal gain. The family claimed that both milked tragedy to boost their YouTube channels and increase their viewership.
They also alleged that Manaf had collected funds in Arjun’s name without their consent. "We do not want any money collected on his behalf. Manaf and others brought us a sum, but it was nothing more than a publicity stunt. We never asked him to raise funds." the family members said.
In response to claims that he used Arjun’s image as his YouTube profile picture, Manaf said that he has changed the picture. "I created the channel to provide updates from Shirur, as media outlets suggested. I have not used the channel since Arjun’s body was brought home. I will always stand by Arjun’s family, and I regret any misunderstanding that may have occurred," he added.
Manaf also clarified that the truck was registered in his brother Mubeen's name. "There's no need to drag this issue any further. Arjun is gone, and we should let things rest now. He was one of us, our Arjun. No one should target or attack his family," he said.
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.
