Labourer finds diamond worth $95,000 in India's Panna city: 'I knew I had found a diamond'
Farmer
'Kismet' of Raju Gound, a labourer from India, changed overnight after he found a massive diamond in a mine in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, BBC reported on Thursday (Jul 25).
The report mentioned that Gound said he had been leasing mines in the city ofPannafor more than 10 years. He hoped that one day he would find a diamond and whathe longed for came in the form of a 19.22-carat diamond.
The report said that the diamond is expected to fetch about eight million rupees ($95,570) in a government auction. He told the news outlet that he hopes to build a better house for his family with the money and even pay for his children's education. However, he said he would pay off his debt of 500,000 rupees ($5,970) immediately.
As quoted in the report, Gound said that about two months ago, his father had leased the mine in Krishna Kalyanpur Patti village near Panna. He said his family leases mines mostly during the monsoon season when agricultural and masonry work dry up.
Gound said, "We are very poor and have no other source of income. So we do this in the hope of making some money."
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
He told the news outlet that he went to the site to perform his daily task of manually searching for the precious stone on Wednesday morning.
Also read:Australia's biggest maritime mystery solved as MV Noongah's shipwreck found after 55 years
"It's tedious work. We dig a pit, pull out chunks of soil and rock, wash them in a sieve and then carefully sift through thousands of dried, tiny stones to look for diamonds," Goundsaid.
However, his luck changed that afternoon.
"I was sifting through the stones and saw something that resembled a piece of glass. I held it up to my eyes and saw a faint glint. That's when I knew I had found a diamond," he said.
Goundthen took the diamond to the government diamond office. The officials then evaluated and weighed it.
In India, Panna is famed for its diamond reserves. People often lease cheap and shallow mines from the government to search for precious stones.
(With inputs from agencies)