Rags-to-riches: MP menial labourer chances upon diamond worth Rs. 1.5cr
Not all that glitters is gold, but they just might turn out to be diamonds. That certainly seems to be the case with 50-year-old menial labourer Motilal Prajapati who, while working on a piece of leased land in Madhya Pradesh's Bundelkhand region, chanced upon a diamond that district officials estimate to be worth at least Rs. 1.5cr. Here are the glittery details.
Prajapati hit the jackpot after three generations of barren luck
For three generations, Motilal Prajapati's family had been working on leased land in the diamond mining area of Panna, 413km from Bhopal, but they had never found a diamond. Yet, three generations of barren luck turned to fortune when on September 20 this year, Prajapati took a plot of land on lease, measuring around 25 sqft, and hit the jackpot within weeks.
What Prajapati intends to do with the money
"I can't believe my luck...With God's grace I have found a good value diamond. I will spend the money on education of my children, a good life for parents and other needs in life like a good house, marriage of my brothers' daughters," said Prajapati.
One of the most valuable diamonds uncovered in Panna's history
The diamond found by Prajapati weighed a whopping 42.59 carats, the second highest value in terms of a gemstone's mass uncovered from the mining district of Panna in Madhya Pradesh. In terms of estimated monetary value, the diamond is the most expensive to be ever uncovered from the district. Notably, Panna has India's only operational diamond mines.
Panna's highest-carat diamond was uncovered in 1961
In terms of mass, the most valuable diamond uncovered from the district of Panna was in 1961 when a man called Rasool Ahmad found a diamond weighing a whopping 44.55 carat in the Kachchua Tola area of the district.
How the diamond mining system works in Panna district
The main diamond mines in Panna is managed by the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) while shallower mines fall under the state government's jurisdiction. In several mines, land is often leased to prospective miners, and the diamonds unearthed by them are collected by the district administration of Panna and auctioned. The auction proceeds, after deducting 11% tax, go to those who find the gems.
