Dawood Ibrahim's two ancestral properties sold off at auction

Two properties belonging to fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim's family members were sold off on Friday at an auction organised by the competent authority under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act in Mumbai.

The auction, which featured a total of four properties situated in Mumbke village, Khed tehsil, coastal Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, saw bids for two of the properties, while the other two remained unsold.

The other two properties received four and three bidders, respectively, and a single person emerged as the successful bidder for both of them.


One property, agricultural land measuring 170.98 sq mt, received the highest bid of Rs 2.01 crore against the reserve price of Rs 15,440. Another -- agricultural land measuring 1730 sq mt -- fetched the highest bid of Rs 3.28 lakh against the reserve price of Rs 1,56,270, the official added. The name of the successful bidder was not disclosed.

The auction took place at the Aayakar Bhavan in south Mumbai. Ibrahim is an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case and is believed to be living in Pakistan.

This auction rekindles memories of previous endeavours to auction off Ibrahim's holdings. The first, dating back to 2000, witnessed a significant event, yet no participants appeared, largely due to apprehension surrounding the notorious figure. Similarly, in 2020, six properties, including Ibrahim's childhood home, went up for auction, while in 2017, three luxurious properties in South Delhi, including a hotel, were also auctioned by the government.

Amidst this, reports about Ibrahim's health emerged recently, suggesting a rush to a Karachi hospital after alleged poisoning. However, Pakistan authorities neither confirmed nor denied these reports. His close aide Chhota Shakeel dismissed these claims, affirming Ibrahim's robust health at "1000 per cent."

The imminent auction of Ibrahim's ancestral properties attests to the government's relentless pursuit under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators Act, 1976, to liquidate assets tied to the underworld don. Despite uncertainties surrounding the bidders, Srivastava stands resolute, echoing his intent to acquire Dawood's childhood abode for a transformative educational initiative.

Adding a different perspective, former journalist S Balakrishnan, dissatisfied with the upcoming auction, criticised the insignificance of the ₹19 lakh reserve price, contending it as negligible for someone like Dawood Ibrahim. He reminisced about his own bid for a restaurant owned by the don in 2015, expressing disappointment over losing the property due to a missed deposit deadline, despite public support and pleas for an extension.

(With Inputs from PTI)