In a setback to Indian Government's hope to bring back the Kohinoor diamond from london, United Kingdom's Foreign Office Minister Alok Sharma said on Tuesday that there is no legal ground for restitution of the diamond to India. Sharma, who handles Asia region for the British Government, said this in response to a question on chances of getting back Kohinoor to India during a media interaction in New Delhi.
Sharma's statement comes as a blow to India's attempt to bring back the diamond which is facing legal and technical hurdles as it dates back to pre-Independence era and does not fall under the purview of Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972. However, last week External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Mahesh Sharma met to discuss how the diamond can be brought back.
Alok Sharma is on his first official three-day visit to India since being appointed UK Minister for Asia.