Mumbai, Mar 20: Four ancestral land parcels linked to fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim have finally been sold in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district after multiple failed auction attempts over the past several years, officials said.
The properties, located in Mumbake village—considered Ibrahim’s ancestral place—were auctioned on March 5 by the Central Government under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act (SAFEMA). All four plots were acquired by a single Mumbai-based bidder, whose identity has not been disclosed.
The sale marks a breakthrough after four unsuccessful attempts in 2017, 2020, 2024 and 2025, when the properties failed to attract buyers despite reduced reserve prices. Officials said hesitation among bidders was largely due to the stigma associated with Ibrahim and the ‘D-Company’, along with the remote location of the plots and their limited use for agricultural purposes.
According to details, the most prominent plot—Survey No. 442—was sold for over ₹10 lakh, exceeding its reserve price of ₹9.41 lakh. The remaining three plots, bearing Survey Nos. 533, 453 and 617, also found buyers with limited competition, with a single bidder meeting the eligibility criteria in each case.
The properties were originally part of the Kaskar family’s ancestral holdings and were attached in the 1990s before being forfeited to the government under SAFEMA. Some of the land parcels were registered in the name of Ibrahim’s mother, Amina Bi.
Officials said the successful bidder is required to complete the payment by early April 2026, following which the transaction will be subject to final confirmation by the competent authority.
The auction process has previously been marred by controversies involving Delhi-based lawyer Ajay Shrivastav, who had participated in earlier bids. In 2024, he had offered ₹2.01 crore for one of the plots, but the deal was cancelled due to non-payment.
Dawood Ibrahim, the head of the D-Company syndicate, is accused of masterminding the 1993 Mumbai bombings, which left 257 people dead and over 700 injured. Indian authorities maintain that he is based in Karachi, Pakistan, though Islamabad has denied the claim.
With the sale now progressing, officials say it marks the end of a prolonged and cautious process surrounding properties long associated with one of India’s most wanted fugitives.
