Two out of the four properties owned by the family members of the elusive gangster Dawood Ibrahim were successfully auctioned on Friday. The properties were auctioned at ₹2.01 crore and ₹3.28 lakh respectively. One property of agricultural land measuring 170.98 sqmt, received the highest bid of ₹2.01 crore against the reserve price of ₹15,440 whereas another -- agricultural land measuring 1730 sqmt fetched the highest bid of ₹3.28 lakh against the reserve price of ₹1,56,270, PTI reported on Friday.
The auction was conducted by the competent authority under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act at the Aayakar Bhavan in south Mumbai.
The assets which were kept for auction included Dawood's childhood home in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri and three other assets. The authorities had confiscated these lands under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators Act.
An official statement by SAFEMA associated with the auctioneering said earlier, “Several bids have been received, and the bidding process is scheduled to take place between 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm on January 5”.
In 2017 and 2020, SAFEMA conducted auctions for more than 17 properties associated with Dawood Ibrahim.
In 2001, Ajay Srivastava, a lawyer and member of Shiv Sena, placed bids on several shops of Ibrahim which are currently entangled in a legal tender process. Srivastava also expressed optimism about acquiring the ownership rights to Dawood's ancestral home soon.
“In 2001, the auction was conducted by the Income Tax Department, but the problem with the department was that they did not offer the possession of the property and I am still fighting for that in the court. The case is pending in high court. In 2020, I took Ibrahim's bungalow situated in Ratnagiri in the auction and there I founded Sanatan Pathshala in the line of madrassas,” Srivastava said.
{{/usCountry}}“In 2001, the auction was conducted by the Income Tax Department, but the problem with the department was that they did not offer the possession of the property and I am still fighting for that in the court. The case is pending in high court. In 2020, I took Ibrahim's bungalow situated in Ratnagiri in the auction and there I founded Sanatan Pathshala in the line of madrassas,” Srivastava said.
{{/usCountry}}"Under the trust, I have built an educational institute there and its construction will start soon," Srivastava added.
Dawood Ibrahim, a prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, resided in the Mumbake village before relocating to Mumbai in 1983. Following the series of bomb blasts that claimed the lives of 257 individuals, he left India.
Recognized as a ‘global terrorist’ by the United Nations under Security Resolution 1267 and listed in the Fourth Schedule of the UAPA Act, 1967, Ibrahim operates an international terrorist network known as D-Company.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)