UP couple relocates to Panna after seeing social media posts about diamond finds, strikes jackpot with four gems worth Rs 12 lakh; couple to receive proceeds after state royalties and taxes are deducted

Jhansi residents Guddi Devi and her husband Rajkumar Shrivas moved to Panna and decided to try their luck in diamond mining after seeing social media posts. However, the couple ended up discovering four gems worth Rs 12 lakh.

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Six months of hard work pays off

After spending nearly six months digging at their leased mine in the Sarkoha area, the couple finally struck gold, or rather, diamonds. The couple unearthed four raw diamonds over two days, turning their difficult search into an unexpected windfall.

Precious stones weigh 5.16 carats

The four diamonds together weigh 5.16 carats, according to officials. The find includes two bright, high-quality diamonds weighing 1.62 carats and 1.29 carats.

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Diamonds estimated to be worth Rs 12 lakh

The four diamonds have been valued at around Rs 12 lakh, with their final price to be determined through the government auction.

Royalties and taxes to be deducted

Diamond expert Anupam Singh arrived at the district office to officially receive and vault the precious stones.

Singh said the gems will be placed in an upcoming government auction, with net proceeds transferred to the couple after deducting mandatory state royalties and taxes.

Windfall to fund family’s future

The couple said they plan to use the money to expand their business and support higher education for their children.

Diamond rush in Panna

A TOI report had said that hundreds of people had gathering along the banks of the Runjh river in Panna after rumours spread that diamonds had been washed downstream, triggering a rush to dig and sift through the riverbed for precious stones.

The rumour quickly spread, drawing people from Panna and Chhatarpur, other parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and even Maharashtra to the riverbank, sources told TOI.

As the crowd grew, the forest department stepped up enforcement, citing unauthorised digging on forest land. Additional teams have been deployed to prevent people from entering the river's surroundings and to check illegal activities.

Officials said teams have been dismantling makeshift huts and removing people from the area. Pans, pickaxes and other equipment used for digging and sifting have also been seized.

The search for diamonds is a laborious process. A local resident said people dig up a mixture of soil, pebbles and stones from the riverbank and areas along the watercourse. The material is then washed and sifted in flowing water, after which the remaining stones are examined manually for possible diamond fragments.

The forest department, however, has rejected reports that diamonds are being washed down the Runjh river, calling them rumours. Officials said a team visited the site after learning about the gathering and cleared the area.

The department has warned people against unauthorised digging and intensified surveillance in the forest range to prevent illegal mining and damage to forest land.

Despite the official denial, hundreds of people have been drawn to the river by the possibility of finding diamonds, turning the rumour into a diamond rush in Panna, one of India's best-known diamond-producing regions.