Dawood Ibrahim’s assets gets Hindu Mahasabha as bidder

New Delhi: The right-wing Hindu Mahasabha was expected to bid for an eatery on the narrow Pakmodia Street in South Mumbai and a green sedan, initially owned by India's most wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

The auction will be held in Hotel Diplomat in Colaba on Wednesday, under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (forfeiture of properties) Act, with a reserve price of Rs 1.18 crore.

Former city-based journalist S Balakrishnan, a Delhi-based lawyer Ajay Shrivastava and president of Hindu Mahasabha Swami Chakrapani were among the top bidders.

The Hindu Mahasabha top brass told that a "well-wisher" who is "closely associated" with the organisation was taking part in the auction in his personal capacity, and the Mahasabha was "strongly supporting him".

Santosh Rai, the Mahasabha's rashtriya sangathan mantri, said that the identity of the person would be revealed after the auction. Reportedly, the bidder had submitted an amount of Rs 30 lakh and made financial arrangements on his own.

However, a man named Swami Chakrapani, who claimed to be the Hindu Mahasabha president, had placed his bid for the vehicle. Rai described Chakrapani as "fake", and said that the Mahasabha had disowned him.

However, Chakrapni said, "I will bid for the vehicle and we will use it for welfare work."

The ownership of this vehicle by Dawood was under considerable doubtful because of its dilapidated condition, with burst tyres and shattered windshield. The reserve price of the car was reportedly fixed at Rs 15,700.

The news was making the rounds that a major political outfit would also contest the bidding process. A senior activist of the political party was chosen to bid on behalf of the party.

(From various sources)

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