Four parcels of agricultural land linked to India’s most wanted criminal, Dawood Ibrahim, are set up for auction on January 5th, 2024 for just Rs 19 lakhs. The smallest plot is kept at a reserve price of Rs 15,440. A total of 21,275 square meters. The properties were seized under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators Act, 1976.
The seemingly ordinary piece of land has an extraordinary history, as they are the don’s ancestral property. These properties are located in the Ratnagiri district’s Mumbake village in Maharashtra. It includes the underworld don’s childhood home where he was born in Mumbake village. The first audition was held in 2000, and no one had turned up to participate due to fear of the terrorists.
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Details of the Bidders
Although the number of bidders is not clear yet, one individual who is certain to come is former Shiv Sena member and lawyer Ajay Srivastava. He had bid on three of his properties in the past. He hopes to get the deed for his childhood home where he plans to start a Sanatan Dharm Pathshala (School) there.
He said that he had bid for this bungalow in 2020 and he has set up a Santan Dharm Pathsala trust to kick start the construction of the school soon. He stated that he participated in the auction in 2001 to get the fear of Mr. Ibrahim out of the citizen’s minds. He further mentioned that he will participate in the auction on Friday, January 5th.
Details of the Property
Previously in 2017 and 2020, 17 properties belonging to the 1993 Blast mastermind were auctioned by SAFEMA. In 2017, they auctioned six rooms in the Damarwala building near Bhendi Bazar, Hotel Raunak Afroz and Shabnam Guest House. The auctioned made Rs 11 crore and in 2020, it fetched Rs 22. 79 lakhs
These properties were attached by SAFEMA competent authority for smuggling and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) cases against Dawood and his family members. In a statement released SAFEMA stated that – Four properties of Dawood’s mother, Amina Bi is up for auction on Friday. They added that several bids have been received.
The schedule of the bidding process is scheduled from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm. The first property has 10,420 sqm of the area whose reserve price Rs 9.4 lakh, the second one is Rs 8 lakh for 8,963 sqm, third is around around 171sqm whose price is Rs 15,440 and the fourth is for 1.5 Lakhs for the area 1,730sqm
About Dawood Ibrahim
Born in 1955 in Ratnagiri, Dawood Ibrahim heads the crime syndicate D company. He a wanted criminal by the government of India on charges of terrorism, extortion, murder and drug trafficking. He started his crimes right from his teenage years. He was one of the masterminds in the 1993 Mumbai attack that caused 250 deaths and left several people injured.
In 2011, he ranked second in the world’s top 10 most wanted fugitives by USA’s FBI. He is believed to be hiding in Pakistan, although his exact whereabouts remain unknown. Ibrahim also developed close ties to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which provided him with financial and logistical support. He continues to lead the D-Company, which is estimated to have revenues of over $1 billion per year. Ibrahim is also accused of being involved in a number of terrorist attacks in India, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The Indian government has offered a $25 million reward for information leading to Ibrahim’s capture. However, he has remained elusive for decades, and it is unclear when or if he will ever be brought to justice.
