Archaeological Survey of India says, Kohinoor was surrendered to British & not gifted

Mangalore Today News Network

Ludhiana, Oct 16, 2018 : Two years back, the government informed the Supreme Court that the Kohinoor diamond was ’neither forcibly taken nor stolen’ by the British. According to a Times of India report, it was gifted to the East India Company by successors of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who ruled Punjab at that point in time. After India’s Demand for Kohinoor, Now Ethiopia Wants Its Maqdala Treasures Looted By The British, Returned.

 

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has contradicted the government’s stand by stating that in a recent RTI reply, the diamond was infact "surrendered" by the Maharaja of Lahore to Queen Victoria of England. In response to the PIL, the government has said that Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s kin had given the Kohinoor to the British as a ’voluntary compensation’ to cover the expenses of the Anglo-Sikh war.

Sabharwal filed the RTI query with the Prime Minister’s Office, which in turn sent the questions to the ASI. ASI reply points out that the "Kohinoor was not handed over to the British on the wishes of Duleep Singh. Moreover, Duleep Singh was a minor at the time of the treaty".