Indian farmer becomes rich after ploughing over a 14.98 carat diamond

Lakhan Yadav wants to spend the money on educating his children

A farmer from a rural part of India’s Madhya Pradesh became rich overnight after finding a 14.98 carat diamond in his leased land.

Lakhan Yadav, 45, of Krishna-Kalyanpur village in Madhya Pradesh sold the diamond for £61,33 at auction on Tuesday. Mr Yadav found the diamond in his land nearly 20 km away from his village.

“It’s sheer luck. You get it once in life. Everybody doesn’t get it,” Mr Yadav told Daily Telegraph.

Mr Yadav found the fortune in the 625 square feet of land that he had taken on lease from the government.

The farmer owns two hectares bought with the compensation money, two buffaloes, and now a motorcycle that he bought with the first payment he was given after depositing the diamond with the district administrion.

During the nationwide Covid lockdown his school-aged children would tend to the buffaloes at home and he went to dig land.

Mr Yadav, who is illiterate, now wants to spend the money to educate his children. 

“With this money, anything is possible. I will build a new house and spend money on the education of my children,” he said.

Mr Yadav said he would put the rest of his money into a bank account so that he can live on the interest from it in his old age. 

“I am not capable of investing this money because I am illiterate. I want my children to study well and then spend the money wisely,” he said.

However, striking it lucky once was not enough and Mr Yadav wants to continue his search for more diamonds.

“A person is never satisfied with money and life. No one wants an end to his life and no one wants that he should not get more money,” he said.

Madhya Pradesh  is richly endowed with mineral wealth. It is the sole producer of diamond in India.