KOZHIKODE: Manaf, the owner of the lorry driven by Arjun who died in a landslide in Shirur, Karnataka, has stuck to his claims regarding the salary given to the latter.
Earlier, Manaf had claimed that Arjun had been receiving a monthly salary exceeding Rs 75,000. Manaf said he is awaiting the release of the insurance amount due to Arjun. The money will be given to the grieving family, he said.
Meanwhile, Arjun’s relatives raised serious accusations against Manaf. They said Manaf was exploiting their grief for personal gain. Manaf denied exploiting the family’s grief for personal gain and insisted that he had acted with integrity throughout the difficult period.
According to the family, Manaf has been raising funds and using Arjun’s tragic death to garner attention on his YouTube channel. They made it clear that they do not want any money collected in Arjun’s name and threatened legal action if Manaf continued with his actions. They feel that their emotions are being exploited, and asked Manaf to stop it.
In a statement made at the reception given by Kozhikode Mukkam School on Thursday, Manaf defended his actions, asserting that he harbours no ill will towards anyone despite feeling humiliated.
He said that someone had misled Arjun’s family about his intentions. He urged people not to speak ill of the family or spread negative comments about them on social media, as they are already enduring a difficult time. Manaf emphasised that Arjun’s family will be consulted further before any decisions are made.
One of the family’s main accusations is that Manaf accepted donations in Arjun’s name and used his YouTube channel to make money from the incident. They made it clear that if Manaf does not stop his actions, they will proceed with legal measures. In response, Manaf stated that he would continue to produce content for his YouTube channel and that his lorry would be named after Arjun as a tribute.
Meanwhile, local diver Eshwar Malpe, who was involved in the Shirur search operation, has also been dragged into the controversy. He refuted allegations made against him by the Ankola police, calling it “false propaganda.” Eshwar stressed that his involvement in the search was purely out of goodwill and not for fame. He added that any income from his YouTube channel is used to support the ambulance service he runs, not for personal profit.
In response to these accusations, convener of the Arjun Action Committee, Noushad T, said that all actions taken by the committee were in consultation with Arjun’s family. He reiterated that the action committee did not collect any funds and was ready to face any inquiries into the matter. Noushad also stated that Manaf would address the allegations against him directly.