Story of how diamond worth 500 crores which emerged from African mound of earth ... had been found in a fish tank for 22 years

Story of how diamond worth 500 crores which emerged from African mound of earth ... had been found in a fish tank for 22 years

Some news was published these days about the 500 crores worth diamond which created a sensation in the country sometime back and underground kingpin Madush had used his people to snatch it and it being later found and subsequently how problems cropped up about its genuine value. This diamond which is supposed to belong to a person by the name of Krishan David of Maharagama was later found in possession of one 'Kevuma' and was then handed over to Maharagama police and courts would take action to make a decision on its assessment.  

He has revealed some days back as to how Krishan happened to get this diamond. "My hometown is
Nugegoda. From the time I was about seven I was studying about gems ... because he was a small gem trader. Friends of my father who came to meet him those days used to give small, small crystals for me to see ... for me to learn. Later I made a study about gems for approximately 17 years. 

Later on I went to Ratnapura area and would buy small gems worth less that Rs. one lakh and engage in a business. That way my thoughts ran behind the gem business. What I desired was to keep gems with me and collect them. My foremost job was catering. I have a degree also in that connection. In the meantime I went to Saudi for a job in catering in the year 1991.   

I did not get a job as soon as I went to Saudi as such. Because of an issue pertaining to a tender, I went to the house of the third millionaire in Saudi and at a part there I saw something glistening in a mound of earth. But I did not have special attention on that. What I did was take a palm leaf there and marking a small sign there by planting it there. The following day the son of the owner of the house asked me to wash his car. Normally, water in the context of that country is like gold. They are very conscious about water.  While washing the car I pointed the hose at that heap of earth. I then picked up that piece of stone. Just then the house owner's son came and asked me, 'What are you doing?' I said that there are some stones here ... I picked them up. Can I take it, I asked. He then said, 'Okay take it and see'. 

The soil in which the stone was found was brought from South Africa. During the cold season in Saudi ... flowers bloom to glory. During that season people of the elite class used to bring soil from African countries and plant flowers. It was inside that heap of soil that this piece of stone was found. By April, 1994 I came to Sri Lanka. When coming like that I brought many stones with me. During those days twenty kilos could be brought as hand-luggage. The extra items I put as sea cargo. That stone in fact was inside that bag I put as sea cargo. 

The cargo arrived in the ship on the first of March and on that day I could not take it. When I went the second day, all boxes that carried the items were broken. When two or three days passed ... someone has dumped the bag with that stone in a drain near our home. Otherwise that stone would have gone missing that day. All the stones I brought that day ... I put in the fish tank. That stone was lying inside the fish tank for 22 years from 1994 till 2016. 

There is a friend of our father called Professor Niel. He came to our place one day in 2016. He is someone who is engaged in gem business on a grand scale. He said that if there are cut pieces I have set aside ... to give him. I gave him twenty small pieces ... the size of small fingers from the fish tank. He then said, 'take that shining piece inside'. He then replied saying, 'no, we'll test that and see a little'. He later said, 'wash it well for the fishy smell and oily matter to go off'. While saying so he added, 'bring a glass of water with it'. So for about four hours he checked it. 

Subsequently he told me to bring a piece of paper and pen. I asked him for why it is. Then he replied, 'this you fellow ... is a diamond. I then told him, 'Aney ... Mr. Niel don't tell lies'. The professor then said, 'The crystal formation in this is all right ... this is 99% a diamond'. It was after that Krishan goes to meet another professor who was equipped with a vast knowledge. What that professor asked Krishan was whether he has gone crazy. As such, what Krishan did was to get down an equipment from internet required to test the diamond. 

Later on he goes to Kochchikade church with his wife dreaming 'how good if this stone happens to be a diamond'. He even made a pledge in front of god that, if so, from the monies he gets, he would give one crore to the church. What he does after that is make a beeline to a jewellery store in Chetty Street, where he was told that it is a diamond. Accordingly Gem and Jewellery Authority has told and confirmed to him that this piece of stone is a diamond worth seven hundred and fifty carats. Under these circumstances he tries to sell it. 

This then goes from mouth to mouth and what happens is that various people visit his house and inspect it to buy it and it is in such an instance that Makandure Madush comes into the scene. In this scene Madush uses a foreigner to visit Krishan's house to buy the gem concerned and in the process a group employed in the guise of policemen appears and manacles the said foreigner and thus plays a role, showing weapons and finally robbing the diamond. 

They have snatched the ges he had so far kept under protection for sometime and beat a retreat after which Krishan informs this to police. It was after that he realises that this was an organised robbery that was put in motion. Police then had begun investigations in this connection and proceeds to arrest accomplices of Makandure Madush. However at first news spread that the gem was sent overseas, police were able to recover the diamond as being hidden in a house in Keselwattha, Panadura by an accomplice of Madush called 'Kevuma'. Krishan vouched that it definitely was the gem which was in his possession and was robbed. 

After the diamond found by police was directed to the gem and jewellery authority it was subjected to inspection of three experts and it was said to be told that it was just an ordinary stone without no value at all, thus giving a different opinion on the previous assessment. Though police had informed that the stone should be directed to Peradeniya campus for further survey in order to assess the market value, Krishan however did not agree to it. Because of his strong protest, an attempt to ascertain the market value thus came to a standstill. The reason why he vehemently opposed such an action was because by tampering the stone would ultimately end up with damaging the value of the diamond. 

Under these conditions the diamond was handed over to Maharagama police and to arrive at an estimate report of the em will be taken by court in future.