Why a Former Journalist Is Bidding for Dawood Ibrahim’s Property

Former journalist S Balakrishnan on why he is bidding for Dawood Ibrahim’s property.

Former journalist S Balakrishnan won the final bidding of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s property called Delhi Zaika at Pakmodia Street in South Mumbai on Wednesday.

Balakrishnan put in the highest bid of Rs 4.28 crore for the ground-plus-one structure. Balakrishnan, who runs an NGO, Desh Seva Samiti, wants to set up an education centre for poor children there. In the past, 11 of Dawood’s properties were put on auction but no one came forward to bid for them.

Subramani Balakrishnan in an interview to Rediff.com talked about his experience of buying Dawood Ibrahim’s property.

I would like to say that there is a fear of Dawood. We thought we are a nation of 120 crore people and if we do not bid for this property it will be a matter of disgrace. Dawood’s property has been auctioned two times and on both occasions, nobody turned up because of fear. Here is this man sitting in Pakistan and is being able to lord over our country especially Mumbai through remote control. I think somewhere we must draw the line.

S Balakrishnan

Answering a question about whether Dawood led Muslim youngsters into the underworld, Balakrishnan said, “There is no Hindu-Muslim issue at all. The underworld is the most secular entity in the country. Whether you are a Muslim or a Hindu, it does not matter. Whether you are able to deliver or rake in the moolah is all that matters.”

I have not bought this property as an individual. I’ve bought this through my NGO. As far as litigation issues are concerned, I am also a practicing lawyer.

To my shock, when I went there on December 3, two competent officers refused to let me enter. They just said it is a ground-plus-one structure. It is located in the prime location of Bhendi Bazaar. It is on Pakmodia Street, which once upon a time was the bastion of Dawood’s gang. The officers refused to show me the property stating, ‘upar se order hai’ (orders from the top). Who is sitting up there? They were not telling me. I could see fear in their eyes. I went to Nariman Point, to their office. There are seven properties up for sale. I wanted to know whose properties you have seized. That also they did not tell me. There was one office superintendent, Raja Mani, who refused to speak.