The family of Arjun, who went missing in Karnataka’s Ankola following a landslide on July 16, has filed a complaint against the cyber attack they have been facing. The complaint, filed by Arjun’s aunt at the Kozhikode Cyber Cell, details that segments of a press conference held by his mother Sheela were misinterpreted and misinformation was spread about the family on social media.
Sheela had recently conducted a press conference in Kozhikode, appealing for proper intervention from authorities to find her missing son. During the press meet, Sheela was seen pausing briefly, as her sister whispered something to her. The complaint highlights a particular video clip in which a voiceover was added to this moment of pause, portraying it to be Sheela’s sister’s voice. The manipulated voice is heard instructing Sheela to speak against the Indian Army officials involved in the rescue mission at Ankola. The family’s primary concern in the police complaint is this misleading and defamatory clip, which was first allegedly aired by a few YouTube channels, and later shared widely across social media.
Meanwhile, this is the 10th day of the rescue efforts at Ankola to find Arjun. On July 24, Arjun’s truck was found submerged in the Gangavali river, and attempts to retrieve the truck are ongoing. A rescue team comprising experts from the Navy are at the location and officials have informed that the operation will continue into the night.
Navy and disaster management forces are also utilising sonar and radar technologies to scour the affected area. Initially, the investigation employed Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), a geophysical method that uses radio waves to capture images beneath the Earth's surface.