Kozhikode: The police have intensified investigation into the cyberattack targeting the family of Arjun, the Kannadikkal native and lorry driver who lost his life in the Shiroor landslide. Six YouTubers who allegedly spread communal hatred through their content are now facing legal action. In addition, several others who posted inflammatory comments on the YouTube channel of lorry owner Manaf are also under scrutiny.

The Kozhikode cyber police have formally requested Google to provide key information, including email addresses, phone numbers, and IP addresses of those believed to be involved in the cyberattacks. This data is expected to arrive in the coming days, aiding in the prosecution of those responsible. The police are determined to hold accountable all individuals and creators involved in spreading communal hate speech that targeted Arjun's grieving family.

While the investigation initially included a case against Manaf, the lorry owner, he will now be excluded from legal action. The family of Arjun had not asked for a case against Manaf, but complained about the cyber abuse happening under his YouTube videos. Manaf’s name was added in the FIR as part of a preliminary inquiry, but the police clarified that they would drop him from the case. However, he will be made a witness in the cyber attack investigation.

The police are examining the social media profiles involved in the abuse and expect to take legal action against certain YouTubers. The case was filed based on a complaint from Arjun’s sister, Anju, to Kozhikode Commissioner T. Narayanan. The family highlighted that the hateful messages had become unbearable.

Despite being initially implicated, Manaf had not posted any videos directly attacking Arjun's family. The police view his failure to remove the videos and allowing others to post abusive comments as negligence. Manaf, in response, has apologized publicly and stated that he never intended to incite religious hatred. He urged that the cyberattacks against the family stop immediately and expressed his willingness to stand by the family during this difficult time.