The famous Indore diamond pears - crime and punishment of Maharajah of Indore

Navrang India February 05, 2015
 Tukoji Rao Holker III (26 November,1890 – 21 May, 1978), Maharajah of Indore belonged to the famous fabulously rich Holker ruling dynasty of Indore, now in Madhya Pradesh.  He was sworn in as the Maharajah of Indore state on 6th November, 1911 at the age of 21. That same year he attended the coronation of George V of England in London and was knighted in the 'Order of the Star' on January1,1918. His royal life, as fate would have it, was a cocktail mix of luxury, turbulence, romance and betrayal. He died in Paris on May 21,1978 leaving behind one son and six daughters. Till death he led a colorful life befitting his former regal status.  

The Malabar Hill area, one of the  busiest and luxurious parts of Bombay, on the evening of 1925 was usually calm and every body was routinely going about his business; traders and hawkers were busy as usual. Suddenly, in a fraction of seconds the peaceful atmosphere was broken and there was some confusion and commotion all around right before the dumbfounded people. No sooner had a car carrying a Muslim woman and two men pulled up along the curb, than they were attacked by a group of armed men, who apparently had been waiting for the arrival of the car there, and in the attack one man was dead and other occupants were injured seriously. One of the culprits was caught by some passersby.

       Young MaharajahTukoji Rao HolkerIII. en.wikipedia.org

The local Press, bereft of sensational news  picked up the scoop, went into action, narrowed their speculation and reported it in the following morning news papers, stating that it was more of a daring kidnapping attempt and  robbery was not the main motive. The sensational news drew the attention of the public and  the police felt compelled to solve the case as early as possible. as the crime took place right before the public in a well-known locality.

The girl occupant of the car on the fatal day was none other than one Mumtaz Begum, a dancing girl at the Court of  Tukoji Rao Holker III,  Maharajah of Indore, one of the three  states, then in central India.  .Mumtaz Begam was the most favorite girl among the concubines of the Maharajah who was more of a Casanova and she had been his close companion for some time.

Maharajah Tukoji Rao Holker III and Anne Miller of Seattle,.the-great-holkars.blogspot.com

Tired of Maharajah's romantic escapades, she abandoned her loyalty to him, despite his deep interest in her. One day while traveling with him by a private train, some how she gave a slip and headed to Amritsar where she sought the help of a wealthy man and became his regular companion.

When the case came up for inquiry before the Bombay court, Mumtaz Begam identified the attackers of her car on the Malabar Hill as members of Maharajah's army. Now, the Maharajah's direct involvement in the crime was clearly proven. The motive was the Maharajah was furious over Mumtaz Begam's liaison with other rich people and she was not loyal to him.

After abdication, the court favored   his son (on 26 February 1926) Yashwantrao Holkar II,  and Tukoji Rao Holker III chose to relinquish his title and position and took off to Europe on tour. There he met Nancy Anne Miller, a rich young American from Seattle, Washington while in Switzerland. She became his third wife when they were married in 1928. The Maharajah gave her lots of expensive gifts, including that of the famous Indore diamond Pears.

Indore diamonds. The World of Famous Diamonds

The marriage between the king and the American beauty did not last long and ended in dead end - divorce after which Ms. Anne miller sold the Indore diamond pears to the famous fashion Jeweler Harry Winston in 1946.