In a significant development, Ajay Shrivastava, a Delhi-based lawyer and Shiv Sena leader, successfully acquired land owned by Dawood Ibrahim's family through an auction in Mumbai.
The auction, held under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, featured four properties in Dawood's ancestral village of Mumbake in Maharashtra.
Interestingly, while two properties received no bids, the remaining two attracted three and four bids, respectively. The highest bid, amounting to ₹2.01 crore, secured a 170.98 square meter land (survey no. 617, Hissa No. 13-B) with a reserve price of ₹15,440. Another parcel, survey no. 842 (Hissa no. 13-B), measuring 1730 square meters, fetched a bid of ₹3.28 lakh against a reserve price of ₹1,56,270.
Ajay Shrivastava, who had previously acquired a piece of land from Dawood's family in an earlier auction, expressed his plans to establish a Sanatana Dharma School on the newly acquired properties. He justified the high bid by claiming that the survey numbers matched his birth date, and he already owned an adjacent plot from a previous auction.
Shrivastava emphasized that the other two plots were not bid on due to inadequate road access. He asserted his belief that Dawood's influence was diminishing, and his purchases were a testament to the consequences individuals face when working against the country.
The lawyer disclosed his previous acquisition of Dawood's industrial unit in Tardeo in 2001, although possession of the property is still pending. In 2020, he secured Ibrahim's bungalow in Ratnagiri through auction, where he established the Sanatan Pathshala educational institute. Shrivastava conveyed his commitment to combating Dawood's legacy and promoting national interests through legal actions and strategic acquisitions.
The auction, conducted at Aayakar Bhavan in south Mumbai, witnessed Shrivastava's assertive participation, highlighting the continuing legal battles over previously acquired properties. As the Delhi lawyer remains steadfast in his pursuit of possession and development, the latest acquisitions underscore the ongoing efforts to repurpose the notorious gangster's assets for constructive purposes.