I fulfilled my promise to bring back Arjun’s remains: Lorry owner

PTI, Kozhikode(Kerala): With the body of missing Kerala lorry driver Arjun being recovered, along with the lorry he was driving, on Wednesday from Gangawali river near Shirur village in Uttara Kannada district, the vehicle owner said his efforts to get Arjun back to his family have been vindicated. Manaf said he had made a promise to Arjun's family, especially his father and infant son, that he would be brought back to them. "I have fulfilled that promise. This shows what a man can achieve if he puts in the maximum effort. There is no door I have not knocked on to ensure recovery of his remains.

I always said he was there in the truck's cabin and now his body has been found there," the teary eyed truck owner told reporters in a broken voice. The July 16 landslide on National Highway 66 claimed the lives of eight people. With the recovery of Arjun's body, the death toll has gone up to nine, they said. The search operations started soon after the landslide were halted on July 28 due to adverse weather conditions, high river current and other factors. However, they were resumed later. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had written to his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah requesting him to resume operations to trace the lorry driver. On Wednesday, Vijayan again wrote to the Karnataka CM, this time expressing gratitude on behalf of the government and people of Kerala. "Your good self had responded promptly to the requests from our side and we express sincere thanks for the same. I request you to kindly convey our gratitude to the district administration, Satish Krishna Sail, Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly representing the Karwar constituency and all those who were engaged in arduous operation," he said in the letter.

Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly V D Satheesan conveyed his thanks to the Kerala and Karnataka governments, people's representatives, officials, the media and everyone else involved in the rescue operations for their efforts and support towards Arjun's family. Manaf, who had stayed in Karnataka for the last more than two months, said that many had criticised his unceasing efforts as an attempt to recover his vehicle and not to get Arjun's remains.