SC dismisses Dawood kin's plea against property attachment

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's mother and sister challenging the Centre's order to attach their properties.

A bench of Justice R.K. Agrawal and Justice A.M. Sapre dismissed the plea of Dawood's mother Amina Bi and sister Hasina Parker (both now deceased).

The two owned seven residential properties in Mumbai, including two in Amina Bi's name and five in Haseena's name. The properties worth crores of rupees were alleged to have been acquired from Dawood's ill-gotten wealth.

They had approached the apex court after the September 2012 order of the Delhi High Court against notices of forfeiture of their properties under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act.

The Act provides for forfeiture of illegally acquired properties of smugglers and foreign exchange manipulators and their kith and kin.

Amina Bi and Parkar challenged the notices, saying they had not been duly served and hence the subsequent proceedings to attach their properties in Nagpada in south Mumbai be stayed.

The government had said that the prime properties belonged to Dawood, though his mother and sister were in possession. Hence, the government contended that the law required their forfeiture.

The competent authority under the said Act had passed an order in July 1998 for the forfeiture of several properties.

--IANS

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