De Beers' parent company is under attack.

According to the South African publication the Sunday Telegraph, Anglo American, the parent company of the De Beers Group, has mobilized no less than three investment banks - Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Centerview - to help thwart a hostile takeover bid from the well-known mining tycoon Anil Agarwal.

Agarwal currently holds 20 percent of Anglo American, by means of his holding company. Volcan Investments. This is not Agarwal's first attempt for a hostile take-over. In 2006, he tried to bid for Anglo American by means of his mining division Vedanta Resources.

While Anglo American did not comment on the news, reportedly, the investment banks involved will launch an attack to discredit the bid.