Getting back Kohinoor: HC says petitioner can approach Centre

BANGALORE: A PIL seeking for the restitution of the famed Kohinoor diamond and other "cultural properties of India" was withdrawn on Thursday after a division bench headed by acting Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen observed that under the law there is nothing for the high court to do in the case.
However, the bench told the petitioner's counsel that he can approach the Centre or the Prime Minister if he chooses to do so.
Vedashree , a city student, had filed the PIL seeking for framing of a law for restitution of India's cultural properties like the Kohinoor diamond and Birmingham Buddha which are lying in a London museum and elsewhere. "Since Indian independence, there have been several requests for the return of the diamond. However, the British government rejected the demand saying that the diamond had been "legitimately acquired". There are several other artefacts like the bronze Buddha statue which is about 1,500 years old shipped to Britain after a Birmingham industrialist, Samuel Thornton, secured it for 200 pounds,'' S S Ravishankar , counsel for the petitioner, told the court.
Appreciating the petitioner's concern and for collecting so much data, the acting Chief Justice mentioned about the Tipu's sword and the Peacock throne. "I don't think some of these are public properties. If you go to Mallya (businessman Vijay Mallya who bought Tipu's sword in a London auction) asking for Tipu's sword, he may throw you out, " he said in a lighter vein.