Arjun's body to arrive home soon; DNA results expected today

Ankola: The body of Arjun, who went missing following Shiroor landslide, is expected to arrive at his home either Friday evening or Saturday morning. A DNA sample was taken from the body and sent to the Hubli Regional Lab for testing. According to Manjeswaram MLA A K M Ashraf, the lab director indicated that results might be ready within 18 hours. Arjun's brother-in-law, Jithin, received word from the police that the results should be available by Friday afternoon. If all goes as planned, the post-mortem could be finished, allowing the body to be transported home on Friday evening.

The Karnataka Government is taking steps to ensure the body is brought back smoothly. A Karnataka Police ambulance will accompany the body on its journey to Arjun’s home in Kerala. Currently, Arjun's body is held at the mortuary of the Karwar district hospital. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has confirmed that the state government will cover all expenses related to the body’s return. A Malayali from Gujarat has also arrived in Shiroor with an ambulance to assist in delivering the body.

Arjun's body and the lorry he was driving were recovered from Gangavali river around 3 pm on Wednesday. However, it was no’t until around 10 am Thursday that the lorry was successfully pulled ashore using two cranes, a process that took about an hour and a half. One more bone fragment believed to be of Arjun was found inside the lorry's cabin, which has been taken to the district hospital for examination.

Along with the body, several personal items were recovered, including Arjun's clothes, two mobile phones, cooking utensils, a blanket, a gas cylinder, a toy lorry belonging to his son, sandals, a large water bottle, and some rice.