Koh-i-noor was gifted to British, not forcibly taken. Time to give up?

In what may come as a major disappointment to Indians, the government on April 18 told the Supreme Court that the Koh-i-noor was neither "stolen" nor "forcibly taken" by the British, and that it was gifted to the East India Company by the ruler of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, in the 19th century.

"Kohinoor cannot be said to be forcibly taken or stolen as it was given by the successors of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to East India Company in 1849 as compensation for helping them in the Sikh wars," the Centre's counsel, solicitor general Ranjit Kumar told a bench headed by chief justice TS Thakur.

The Supreme Court, which was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by All India Human Rights and Social Justice Front seeking directions to the high commissioner of the UK for the return of the diamond besides several other treasures, has given the Centre six weeks to file a detailed reply.

It is not just India that is claiming ownership of the 105-carat diamond - the list includes Pakistan and Afghanistan.

With the Indian government deciding not to stake claim to the famed jewel, the long-standing demand of its "return" to the "homeland" seems all but over.

The controversy seems to have finally got official, if not emotional, closure. No ghar wapsi for Koh-i-noor, it seems.