The Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Pratishthana at Kuppalli in Shivamogga district has written to Ministry of Home, Government of India, requesting a replica of Padma Vibhushan medal conferred to the poet laureate Kuvempu. The medal was stolen from “Kavimane” museum here on November 24, 2015.
Kadidal Prakash, Prathisthana secretary, told The Hindu that they wrote the letter in the first week of May. The photocopy of the police complaint, FIR filed by the police and the certificate issued with the medal were attached with the letter, he added.
The prathisthana was ready to bear the expenses incurred towards issue of the replica, he said. He also said that though there was no official communication from the Ministry on the fee charged for issue of a replica, an estimated Rs. 1 lakh may be charged. He added that the prathisthana was awaiting a reply from the ministry.
Following the burglary, based on the footage of the surveillance cameras installed at the museum, the police had arrested three persons on the charges of lifting the medal. During interrogation, the arrested confessed to the police that the hook in the metal clasp to which the medal was attached had broken and that they had lost the medal. Though the police launched a search operation, they still have not been able to secure the medal.
