Kohinoor is back in the news. On a petition filed in the Supreme Court to direct the Government to bring back the celebrated diamond from Britain, the Centre raised its hands in despair on Monday and told the court that the gem cannot be retrieved as it was gifted to the British and not stolen or forcibly taken away by them.
This was admitted by Solicitor General of India Ranjit Kumar before a Bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice UU lalit, during the hearing of a PIl seeking immediate steps on part of the Indian Government to bring back the Kohinoor from the British.
Reading out from a note supplied to him by the Union Ministry of Culture, Kumar recounted the history behind the priceless diamond and said that in India the gem was last chronicled to be in possession of Maharaja Duleep Singh, the son of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, who founded the Sikh Empire.
“Somewhere around 1813, the Kohinoor was given by Maharaja Duleep Singh to the British East India Company as compensation for the help he had received from them in the Sikh war,” Kumar said, adding that in 1850 the East India Company formally presented it to Queen Victoria. Since then, the Kohinoor has remained in the possession of the British.
Responding to the PIl filed by NGO All India Human Rights and Social Justice Front, Kumar informed the court that retrieving the lost diamond has been debated in both the lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in the past but no solution could be arrived at. “Kohinoor cannot be categorised as an object stolen or taken away as it was gifted to the British as compensation,” he added.
Kumar informed the court that he is yet to receive the input from the Ministry of External Affairs, which can still pursue the case on Kohinoor on the diplomatic front. The Bench reminded the Centre that any adverse order from the apex court could be a hindrance for any future attempt by India to retrieve the treasure or stake its claim over Kohinoor.
“You can file an affidavit. You must either say that you have a claim and you will pursue it or our order of dismissal of this petition may come in the way of your future claim,” the Bench said.
Kumar agreed to consider the matter from all aspects and state the final stand of the Government on an affidavit to be filed in six weeks.