SC Allows Forfeiture of Dawood’s Illegal Properties

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today dismissed a plea by fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim's mother Ameena Bi Kaskar and sister Haseena Parker challenging the attachment of their properties in Mumbai by the government.

A bench of justices R K Agrawal and A M Sapre dismissed the plea, saying the properties belonged to Dawood Ibrahim. His mother Amina Bi and sister Hasina Parker's (both dead now) had challenged the attachment order of their residential properties in Mumbai. They had a total of seven residential properties in their names. Of these, two are in the mother's name and five are in the sister's name. The properties worth crores of rupees have allegedly been acquired with Dawood Ibrahim's ill-gotten wealth.

The two women had approached the apex court challenging the order of the Delhi High Court, which had turned down their plea against the order for seizure of their properties in Mumbai under the Smugglers And Foreign Exchange Manipulators Forfeiture Of Property) Act (SAFEMA). The Act provides for forfeiture of "illegally acquired properties" of smugglers and foreign exchange manipulators and their relatives. The petitioners had pleaded that they were not duly served forfeiture notices and so the subsequent proceedings to attach their properties at Nagpada in south Mumbai were illegal and they should be given a fresh opportunity to challenge the forfeiture notices.

PTI