Dawood-Linked Properties in Ratnagiri Sold Under SAFEMA After Long Delay

A buyer has finally been found for the ancestral agricultural lands in Ratnagiri district linked to absconding underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. In an auction conducted by the Central government on March 5, a Mumbai-based bidder placed the highest bids for all four agricultural land parcels.

The auction was carried out under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act (SAFEMA), marking a significant step in the disposal of properties associated with the Kaskar family.

According to officials, all four land parcels are located in Mumbake village in Khed taluka of Ratnagiri, which is Dawood Ibrahim’s ancestral village. Several of these properties were registered in the name of his mother, Amina Bi.

The identity of the Mumbai-based bidder has not been disclosed yet. As per auction conditions, the bidder must complete the payment by early April 2026. The process of acquisition and transfer will be finalised after approval from the competent authority.

Earlier, an attempt to auction these properties in November 2025 had failed despite a reduction of nearly 30% in the reserve price, as no buyers came forward. Officials cited factors such as the ‘stigma’ associated with Dawood-linked properties, rural location, agricultural-use restrictions, and legal-social sensitivities as reasons for low interest among buyers.

During the latest auction, land under Survey No. 442 (Hissa No. 13-B), with a reserve price of ₹9.41 lakh, was sold for over ₹10 lakh, with participation from two bidders. The remaining three plots—Survey Nos. 533, 453, and 617—received bids from only one participant, who ultimately secured all four properties.

Officials noted that multiple attempts have been made over the past decade to auction these properties, including in 2017, 2020, 2024, and 2025, but most efforts failed due to low participation or lack of successful bids.

These properties were originally seized from the Kaskar family in the 1990s and later vested with the Central government as part of action against organised crime linked to the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.

Previously, Delhi-based lawyer Ajay Srivastava had participated multiple times in auctions of Dawood-linked assets. He had purchased Dawood’s ancestral bungalow in Mumbake village in 2020, though the process faced delays due to payment issues and legal disputes.

Authorities said challenges such as delayed payments, legal hurdles, and difficulties in taking possession have consistently affected the sale of properties linked to Dawood Ibrahim.