Kozhikode: Lorry owner Manaf, who found himself at the centre of controversy after Kozhikode native Arjun's family accused him of using his death for fame, wrote to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking action against the slander campaigns unleashed on him on social media.
Manaf said he was approaching the chief minister because no action was taken on his complaint to the Kozhikode City Police Commissioner, which demanded the removal of hateful content about him posted on YouTube channels.
In his letter, Manaf said he and his family were on the verge of taking their own lives due to the smear campaign, which was even trying to propagate religious rivalry. Meanwhile, Manaf will be exempted from the complaint filed by Arjun's family against the cyber attack they had to endure. Manaf's name was not mentioned in the statement given to the Chevayur police. It was then decided to remove the name from the FIR.
The disagreement between Manaf and Arjun’s family was amicably resolved during a mediation meeting a couple of days ago. Manaf said they are a family, and it is normal to have minor issues. Arjun's brother-in-law, Jithin, added that the post-press conference discussions deviated from his intended message.
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, but he denied all accusations.
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-long search.
