Dawood Ibrahim’s Mumbai home to be auctioned

MUMBAI: Fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim’s property on

Pakmodia Street

is up for grabs.

The

Hindu Mahasabha

, a

Supreme Court lawyer

and

Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust

(SBUT) are among the few who will bid for

Masulla building

, also known as

Amina building

, when it is put up for

auction

on August 9 under the Smuggling and Foreign Exchange Manipulator’s (Forfieture of property) Act. Dawood spent his heydays in the three-storey building opposite Dambarwala building on Pakmodia Street.

The auction will be held at the cultural hall at Yashwantrao Chavan Pratisthan near Mantralaya. The bidders have to deposit the Earnest Money Deposit of Rs 25 lakh before or on August 9. The building reserve price is Rs 79.43 lakh.

Soures said Masulla was part of Dawood’s ill-gotten asset, which was in the name of his mother Amina Bi, who died a decade ago. Iqbal Kaskar, Dawood’s brother, who used to live in Dambarwala building had shifted to his sister Haseena Parkar’s building at Gordan Hall in Nagpada after she passed away. Iqbal was arrested in an extortion racket early this year.

Those who own shops in Masulla building told TOI that they were not aware about the auction. “On several occasions, government officials from various departments, including the police, have dropped in, recorded our statements and clicked pictures of the building. Neither Dawood nor his family members live here. It does not matter to us who buys this property,” said a shopkeeper, on condition of anonymity.

Indira Tiwari of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha and SC lawyer Upendra Bhardwaraj on Tuesday inspected the building amidst police escort. “This time, the government has requested me to take part in the auction. It is not only an insult to the nation but to various security agencies that for the fear of the gangster if no one turns up for the auction. I have decided to get this property and build faith in the government. If we win this property we will build a home for the upliftment of the poor and the aged,” said Tiwari.

Last year, the Hindu Mahasabha had participated in the auction for three other properties owned by Dawood, but SBUT won the bids. In 2015, the Hindu Mahasabha had brought a car allegedly owned by Dawood and set it on fire.