Kozhikode, Oct 5 (IANS): Twenty-six gold sovereigns worth Rs 1.5 million were stolen from Jnanpith award winner M. T. Vasudevan Nair's home in Kerala's Kozhikode.

The 91-year-old, one of Kerala's most popular literary figures and his wife were away from their home in the last week of September.

A few days after their return his wife thought that the gold ornaments were kept in the bank locker.

But after they checked the bank locker, they realised it was kept at home and had been stolen.

On Friday, Nair's wife, Saraswathi registered a complaint with the local police station.

After the police inspection, it was found that neither the house nor the cupboard where the gold was kept was broken open.

The keys to the cupboard were kept in the home itself and the police have concluded that whoever has done it has used the keys and decamped with the gold.

Nair, a Padma Bhushan awardee, has won four national film awards for screenplay.

In a glittering Malayalam film career, Nair directed seven films and wrote the screenplay for around 54 films.

His screenplays were now available as books and served as a guide to all budding and aspiring people looking for a future in the film industry.

Other awards in Nair's kitty are the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award, Vallathol Award, Ezhuthachan Award, Mathrubhumi Literary Award and O. N. V. Literary Award.

He was awarded the J.C. Daniel Award for lifetime achievement in Malayalam cinema in 2013.

He served as the editor of Mathrubhumi Illustrated Weekly for several years.

In 2022, he was honoured with the maiden Kerala Jyothi Award, the highest civilian award given by the Kerala Government.

It was in 1995 that he was feted with the Jnanpith, the oldest and the highest Indian literary award presented annually.