Iqbal Mirchi's bungalow auctioned at Rs7.50 crore

A sprawling bungalow of fugitive druglord Iqbal Mirchi, overlooking a picturesque Upper Lake here, finally went under the hammer for Rs7.5 crore.

The infamous "Angrejan Ka Bangla", situated at posh Nadira Colony in Shyamla Hills area, was purchased by the Mumbai-based Surewin Company, having interests in hospitality industry, at the auction held yesterday, sources present on the occasion told reporters.

The property was sold out under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators Act (SAFEMA). The officials had specially arrived from Mumbai for the purpose.

Mirchi, a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, had purchased the bungalow in his wife's name in 1991. As the property once belonged to an English lady, it has been called as the 'Angrejan Ka Bangla".

The bungalow has been lying unoccupied since 2004-05 when it was seized by the Customs and Excise officials on the directions of the Supreme Court.

The 8343 sq ft property suddenly hogged the limelight in 1998 when the decomposed body of Abdullah, one of the alleged assassins involved in murder of T-Series owner Gulshan Kumar, was found there.

A previous attempt to auction the property in 2007 did not materialise as the bidders, despite depositing the earnest amount, did not turn up at the auction, reportedly after being threatened by the don.