S. Balakrishnan, a former journalist from Mumbai, on Wednesday made the winning bid of Rs. 4.28 crore for underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s property — a restaurant — in an auction conducted by the Ministry of Finance.
Mr. Balakrishnan’s bid, for his NGO Desh Seva Samiti, was among the four made for Hotel Raunaq Afroz, an eatery now renamed by a tenant as Delhi Zaika, on Pakmodia Street, a known hub of the don.
The restaurant is one of the several assets controlled by Dawood and his henchmen and had remained unsold since the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings when some of these were attached by the CBI.
Mr. Balakrishnan said: “Two other bids were made through sealed tenders and e-auction of Rs. 2.52 crore and Rs. 1.72 crore respectively. Since my NGO’s bid was the highest, I was declared the winner.”
The Dawood restaurant was the highest priced — at Rs 1.18 crore — among the seven properties in the auction including four agricultural plots in Nani Daman in Daman and Diu, a tenancy right for a room in central suburb of Matunga and a 2000-model green Hyundai Accent sedan.
Mr Balakrishnan, who has extensively covered the Mumbai underworld for nearly three decades working with various Mumbai newspapers, said he was happy to have won the bid. “I am happy that I have won the bid. Somebody sitting in Pakistan cannot issue threats and dictate terms to this country. We shall not be cowed down by the threats. This is a huge amount I have to pay within 30 days, and I appeal to all patriotic Indians to contribute and help me take possession of the property,” he said.
Mr Balakrishnan said DSS plans to open an English-speaking and computer institute in the property. “There is no political or communal angle to this. We will not use this property for any commercial gains. Our institute will work for the education and uplift of Bhendi Bazaar’s people and it will be named after freedom fighters Ashfaqullah Khan, and Ramprasad Bismil from UP,” he said. Khan and Bismil were part of a group of freedom fighters responsible for the 1925 Kakori train robbery.
Delhi-based Swami Chakramani, claiming to be the president of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, purchased the Hyundai Accent car for Rs 32,000.
Government auctioneer Ashvin & Co, which conducted the auction for Safema authorities, said all seven properties on auction were sold, but gave no details of the winning bidders.
