We Will Try Our Best to Bring Back Kohinoor Diamond: Indian Govt

Indian govt makes a u-turn on the Kohinoor issue; says it will make all efforts to bring back the valued diamond.

The famed diamond from India now lies in the confines of the Tower of London. (Photo: Reuters)

The Indian government made a u-turn on the Kohinoor issue saying it will make all efforts to bring back the valued diamond. The government had said in the Supreme Court that the diamond was neither stolen nor forcibly taken by the British rulers but it was given to them by the erstwhile rulers of Punjab.

In a statement on Tuesday, the government claimed it has not yet conveyed its views to the court “contrary to what is being misrepresented” in the media.

The government’s statement came a day after the Solicitor General told the Supreme Court:

Kohinoor cannot be said to have been forcibly taken or stolen as it was given by the successors of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to East India Company in 1849 as compensation for helping them in the Sikh wars.

Solicitor General

The court was hearing a PIL which sought government action for the return of over $200 million Kohinoor diamond from the UK.

Wishing to put on record that the news items on the issue “are not based on facts”, the official release said the government reiterates its resolve to make all possible efforts to bring back the Kohinoor in an amicable manner.