Brick kiln worker finds diamond worth Rs 1 crore in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL: The diamond mines of Panna have brought sparkle to the life of yet another fortune-seeker from a humble background. A brick kiln worker, who had been trying his luck in the shallow mines for over a decade, finally found a diamond on Monday that may fetch upwards of Rs 1 crore.
Panna's diamond officer Ravi Patel said the 26.11 carat sparkler was found by Sushil Shukla, a resident of Kishoreganj in Panna city, in a mine located near Krishna Kalyanpur area.

According to the rules, Shukla deposited the diamond at the district mining office, diamond inspector Anupam Singh said. It will be put up for auction in a couple of days and the proceeds will go to the finder after deduction of government royalty and taxes, he added.
Shukla and five of his partners had deposited Rs 200 for a year-long lease of the 6mx7m shallow mine on January 1 this year. He told local mediapersons that he and his family have been involved in diamond mining for 20 years, but this was the first time that he unearthed a precious stone of such weight.
The Panna diamond mines have turned around the fortunes of scores of people who could barely afford the Rs 200 deposit for the lease. In the last auction in September 2021, a poor farmer from Chhatarpur district turned into a millionaire when his find, a 12.08 carat diamond, sold for Rs 43 lakh.
In all, 81 diamonds worth over Rs 1.27 crore, found by prospectors, were put up for auction. Sixty-one of them, weighing 83.63 carats, were sold. In December 2020, a marginal farmer got around Rs 50 lakh for a 14.98 carat diamond. "It has changed my life," Yadav had told TOI. Auctions are supposed to take place every month but there were prolonged gaps due to the pandemic. The government keeps 12.5% royalty and the rest of the proceeds go to the finder.