The 44.59 carat diamond is the biggest one to be dug out in Panna since 1961
For 50 year-old daily-wage labourer Motilal Prajapati, the treasure hunt of sorts began two generations ago when his grandfather took a small plot of land on lease near the mining area in diamond-rich Panna in Madhya Pradesh. But despite years of digging, Mr Prajapati's grandfather failed to find a single diamond. The desire to continue digging was passed on to the next generation and the generation after that but the Prajapati family couldn't find a single gem.
Debts kept increasing yet Mr Prajapati never gave up on his grandfather's mission. A month-and-a-half ago, Mr Prajapati and his brother Raghuveer began digging near the Krishna Kalyanpur area in Panna, hoping that this time they would succeed in finding a diamond. On Tuesday fortunes changed for the Prajapati family as the duo dug out a 42.59 carat diamond, worth at least Rs 1.5 crore.
This is the biggest diamond to be dug out in Panna since 1961 and second biggest in its history. Panna's biggest diamond was dug out by Rasool Mohammad of Matuatola village on October 15, 1961. The gem weighed 44.55 carat.
"I am extremely happy. After almost one-and-a-half months of hard work, I managed to find a diamond, that too worth crores of rupees. I have to repay a loan of 5 lakhs. This diamond will solve all my problems," Mr Prajapati said, visibly elated.
Motilal Prajapati plans to use the money from the diamond to educate his children.
Mr Prajapati said that the diamond will fulfill the mission of his previous generations and ensure the well-being of future generations.
"For three generations - from my grandfather to myself - we have been taking land in the mining area on lease. But we never succeeded in finding a diamond. I will spend the money on the education of my children," he said.
Although experts are yet to determine the exact value of the gem found by Mr Prajapati, they estimate that it could be worth somewhere between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 2.5 crore.
Mr Prajapati handed over the precious stone to Panna's diamond officer.
"Mr Prajapati reached the diamond officer's office this afternoon to deposit the gem. This 42.59-carat diamond is yet to be valued. It would be auctioned in January next year and the proceeds will be given to Mr Prajapati after deduction of government royalty and taxes," Anupam Singh, valuer with the diamond officer, said on Tuesday
Like the Prajapati family, hundreds of people come to Panna, particularly this time of the year, to carry out shallow-pit mining in search of diamonds.
On September 14, Prakash Sharma and three of his partners dug out a 12.58-carat diamond, worth Rs 30 lakh during routine shallow-pit mining.