2 May 2018 08:01 pm
The NFC Chairman told Daily Mirror that a family member had confirmed that the medal had gone missing. “According to the family member the award is suspected to have gone missing from his residence at around 10.30a.m after the Catholic rituals had been performed. A family doctor who had come to get a photograph after the hearse carrying the coffin left the residence and had found the award missing.
A complaint had been lodged with the Bambalapitiya Police about this incident over the phone,” Mr Senaratne said. "Dr Peries was the recipient of several Golden Peacock Awards from the International Film Festival of India during his lifetime and this stolen souvenir was the most valuable among them. It is thought the souvenir was made out of a precious metal," he said.
“I informed the Law and Order Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara and the Colombo South Police DIG about this theft as soon I came to know of it,” Mr Senaratne said.
The Ranamayura Award was given to Mr Peries in 1965 at the India International Film Festival held in New Delhi for the film Gamperaliya, he said.
Meanwhile, the Police Media Division said the complaint was received by them between 10.15a.m and 11.00a.m and that the Bambalapitiya Police was conducting further investigations. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)
Pix by Chatura S kodikara