Bengaluru: For 17 year-old Ria Vithasha, who has authored five novels, the killing of senior Kannada writer M M Kalburgi distressed her enough to take the decision to return her Karnataka Sahitya Academy award.

Vithasha, known by her pen name Muddu Thirthahalli, whose novel "Kaada Haadiya Hoogalu" has been adapted into an award-winning film, said she was "pained" that the killers of Kalburgi had not yet been caught and punished.