A man from Uttar Pradesh has finally gained ownership of his shop after a 23-year wait, leading to conversations about the lengthy process. The shop was previously owned by Dawood Ibrahim, the mastermind behind the Mumbai bombings and a notorious criminal. After the Income Tax Department auctioned the property, Hemant Jain from Firozabad bought it. Following a protracted legal struggle, he has now secured ownership.
The shop, which is 144 square feet in size, is located on Jayraj Bhai Marg in Mumbai and was registered in Dawood's name. After he fled India, the government seized many of his assets, including this shop, which was auctioned on September 20, 2001. Hemant and his brother Piyush purchased it for two lakh rupees, but it took 23 years for them to obtain ownership rights.
Hemant encountered numerous obstacles in claiming his ownership, including a lack of support from Income Tax Department officials. In 2017, the auction file inexplicably went missing from the Registrar's Office, leading Hemant to send multiple letters to the Prime Minister's Office. He eventually took the issue to court, and after five years, the shop was officially transferred to him on September 19, 2024. Currently, the shop is reportedly occupied by associates of Dawood Ibrahim, prompting Hemant to begin efforts to reclaim it.