24-Year-Old Finds Diamond Worth Rs 30 Lakh In Madhya Pradesh Mine

A 24-year-old man became rich overnight after he found a 6.92 carat diamond, valued at Rs 30 lakh, from a mine near Madhya Pradesh's Panna, an official said on Friday.

The man, Sandeep Yadav, a police service aspirant, had taken the mine on lease from the government after recruitment in police force was deferred due to the Covid pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.

The precious stone found by Mr Yadav can fetch around Rs 30 lakh in the market, local diamond inspector Anupam Singh said.

Panna, a district in the impoverished Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, is known for its diamond mines.

Mr Yadav is the fourth person to hit the jackpot in last 30 days in the district. All four diamonds collectively weigh 29.82 karat, Mr Singh said.

He extracted the diamond on Wednesday from the mine located in the Krishna Kalyanpur area, Anupam Singh said.

The precious stone has been deposited at a local diamond centre and it will be auctioned, he added.

Mr Yadav will get the sale proceeds of his diamond after a deduction of 2.5 per cent royalty, the inspector said.

"I am overwhelmed with joy after stumbling upon the diamond. As recruitment in the police force has been frozen due to the coronavirus outbreak, I thought of trying my hands at diamond mining," Mr Yadav told news agency PTI.

"I took a tract of mine on lease and after a fortnight-long toil, I found the diamond. My family's financial condition will improve once I get the proceeds from its auction," Mr Yadav added.