Fugitive Dawood Ibrahim's three structures are now under the Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment umbrella
Fugitive Dawood Ibrahim's three structures are now under the Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment umbrella. After failing at the finish line two years ago, it was mission accomplished for the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT), which won the auction for three of Dawood Ibrahim's properties. Held at the Indian Merchants Chamber's Kilachand Hall yesterday, the auction began at 10 am and wrapped up by early afternoon. The SBUT bought the don's Shabnam Guest House (Rs 3.52 crore), Dambarwala building (Rs 3.53 crore) and hotel Raunaq Afroz (Rs 4.53 crore).
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Khaki wave at Churchgate at the start of the auction. Pic/Suresh Karkera
An SBUT spokesperson confirmed the development and said, "The three properties are now under our ongoing Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment project. All are in a dilapidated condition and unfit for living. To ensure the safety of the tenant families and to carry on with the redevelopment, we participated in the bidding and acquired the properties." The SBUT had been locked in a bidding battle for Raunaq Afroz two years ago, when the auction was held at a Colaba hotel. Then, activist S Balakrishnan had outbid the Trust, promising Rs 4.28 crore over the latter's Rs 4.27 crore. However, he couldn't cough up the money and had to forfeit his claim on the property.
One of the three properties SBUT won
Fact check
The SBUT was established in 2009, after the cluster redevelopment policy was announced to redevelop the city in clusters rather than individual buildings. The Bhendi Bazaar Redevelopment project has more than 250 decrepit buildings, 3,200 families and 1,250 shops to be incorporated in 17 new buildings and modern infrastructure. Tenants have currently been moved to transit accommodation, and the same will happen to residents of the newly acquired buildings. A senior SAFEMA (competent authority) official said, "The auction was held as per norms with all three methods - sealed tender, e-auction and public bidding. Dawood's properties were sold to the highest bidder in all methods. Now, the winner needs to deposit the funds within the stipulated time to take possession of the properties."
Media persons surround a SAFEMA official after the auction
Former Mumbai Police commissioner D Sivanandhan lauded the successful auction. "It is clear now that the government has established a grip on things. This (auction) is an important development. It shows that the government means business. This attitude will be helpful in bringing down Dawood's empire," he said, adding, "The three properties should be used to house either government offices or police posts."
Media persons surround a SAFEMA official after the auction.
Reality of realty
This January, the Appellate Tribunal for Forfeited Property had cleared the government's move to take over Dawood's properties under the provisions of SAFEMA, dismissing 27 appeals of people claiming to be old tenants in Dambarwala building and Shabnam Guest House. The first and the third floor apartments in Dambarwala building are Dawood's ancestral assets, where he stayed with this family before fleeing India in 1986. Later, his mother and then brother Iqbal Kaskar stayed there. The latter is presently in judicial custody in connection with the extortion cases registered against him by the Thane police.
3,200 No. of families to be given homes in the new buildings
1,250 Number of shops under the Bhendi Bazaar project
250 Number of buildings part of the redevelopment project
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