Five people were arrested by the Bambalapitiya Police this morning for the theft of the late Dr. Lester James Peiris’s ‘Golden Peacock’ Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award was stolen from the late film director’s house during his funeral, which was held under state honours at the Independence Square on May 2.

The award was found abandoned on the overhead rack of a private bus plying the Kollupitiya- Kaduwela route on Saturday (May 5).

It is believed the robbers discarded the award for fear they would be apprehended after a massive public outcry after the media reported the incident.

Dr. Lester James Peiris received the award for the film ‘Gamperaliya’, which won best feature at the New Delhi film festival in 1965.