The controversy erupted when some winners suspected on Wednesday that they weren’t real diamonds. The rings had come in small boxes labelled ‘Lucky Jewellers, Bairagarh’. Soon enough, its proprietor, Mahesh Dadlani, began getting calls.He said he had nothing to do with the rings.
When TOI spoke with Dadlani, he said, “Those were not my rings. The box was provided to the district administration by Vasudev Wadhwani, president of Kapda Vyapari Sangh. I have nothing to do with them.”
Wadhwani said, “It’s American diamond. The district collector had convened a meeting of Bhopal Chambers of Commerce & Industries and asked us to provide gift items… It was never to be a diamond ring.”
District collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh said, “The ring was a gift to encourage people to come out and vote. I can’t say whether the diamond in the ring is natural or lab-made, but it has gold.”
The winners, however, are not complaining. It’s a gift. They gave me whatever they had, and I accept it with humility,” said Gayyoj Sahu, one of the winners. “I have no problem with the ring,” added Ayan Khan, another winner.
