Ankola: The search for Arjun, who went missing following the landslide in Shiroor, has been intensified in the Gangavali river on the eighth day. The Navy's scuba divers are combing the area where a radar signal was detected 40 metres from the riverbank, employing specialized navy equipment.

Earlier today, the relatives of Arjun and media personnel were denied entry to the landslide site. However, Arjun’s relative, Jithin, was later permitted access. Kerala MLAs Sachin Dev and Linto Joseph are also present at the Shiroor site.

The treacherous river conditions and intermittent rain are posing significant challenges to the rescue efforts. Previously, the body of a woman who went missing in the landslide was found in a decomposed state. The deceased has been identified as Sanna Hanumanthappa. In total, four individuals, including Arjun, remain unaccounted for.

In a plea filed with the Supreme Court to expedite the search for Arjun, the SC allowed the petitioner, lawyer K.R. Subhash Chandran, to approach the Karnataka High Court in Bangalore. The Karnataka HC is scheduled to hear the plea at 2.30 pm today, with the Bengaluru bench presiding over the matter.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had handed over satellite visuals of the area where Arjun went missing. The visuals, taken at 6 am on the day of the landslide, did not show any trace of Arjun or his lorry. 

Yesterday, searches were conducted in areas where signals were detected after deploying a Deep Search Detector. However, the search was futile as nothing was found in these areas. The army eventually confirmed that Arjun and his lorry might not be on land and could have been swept into the river.