Maharaja Ranjit Singh had declared to gift Kohinoor diamond to Lord Jagannath Temple, Puri, but unfortunately he died before handing over the Kohinoor to the King of Puri

Kohinoor Was Surrendered to British & Not Gifted, Says Archaeological Survey of India

Two years back, the government informed the Supreme Court that the Kohinoor diamond was 'neither forcibly taken nor stolen' by the British.

Ludhiana, October 16: 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. 

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has contradicted the government's stand by stating that in a recent RTI reply, the diamond was in fact "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". 

Initially Maharaja Ranjit Singh  had declared to gift Kohinoor diamond to Lord Jagannath Temple, Puri, but unfortunately he died before handing over the Kohinoor to the King of Puri,. Duleep Singh also clearly intimated the Britishers that his late father had already declared to gift the Kohinoor   to Lord Jagannath Temple, but despite his declaration, Britishers took away the Kohinoor to London. Now Kohinoor has been kept in a museum and UK Govt is collecting 50 pounds from individuals for  just to  see the same and earning huge amounts from the museum.