The Sahitya Akademi Awards 2017 were given away to writers from 23 languages on Monday evening.

However, as a mark of protest against the murder of Haryana teenager Junaid Khan, who was killed in a train last June while returning home after Eid shopping, Malayalam writer K.P.Ramanunni gave away the award to his mother after taking Rs 3 from the total prize money of Rs 1 lakh.

Ramanunni said that the book for which he won the award is about communal harmony and said that Junaid was killed for no reason.

The family of Tamil poet Inquilab, awarded posthumously, who had earlier announced their refusal to accept the award also didn’t attend the award ceremony.