Madhya Pradesh man making Rs 300 a day finds diamond worth Rs 80 lakh

The man reportedly makes around Rs 300 each day from his work in the fields or from driving tractors for wealthy farmers in the state.

Representative image showing a large diamond

Credit: iStock Photo

A labourer from Madhya Pradesh found his life transformed following the discovery of a large diamond in the famous Panna mines of the state, CNN reported.

Raju Gond, 40, found a 19.22-carat diamond days back, which is expected to bring him around Rs 80 lakh at the government auction.

Gond reportedly makes around Rs 300 each day from his work in the fields or from driving tractors for wealthy farmers in the state.

The publication reported that Gond and his brother, Rakesh, sometimes pay Rs 800 a day to mine for gold on a 690-square-foot government land plot. This is where they found the diamond last Wednesday.

"It shone spectacularly," Gond exclaimed, adding that it had taken him ten years of work to get there.

Gond and his brother took the diamond to the Panna diamond office without delay for an assessment. The examiner told CNN that the diamond will bring around Rs 80 lakh. "In 1961 someone found a 54.55-carat diamond, then in 2018 someone found a 42-carat diamond, and now this," the examiner said.

Gond explained that one has to fill out a form, provide identification proof, turn in photos, and give Rs 800 to the government to be able to start the process of digging for gemstones. Once the search on the current plot is done, one can search in a different area.

At a time when large diamond discoveries are rare, this find is likely to turn the Madhya Pradesh native's life around.