Dawood operated his unerworld circuit from his Pakmodia Street residence before he fled the country in late 80s.
Bhendi Bazaar is undergoing a face-lift with old houses and narrow lanes being replaced by swanky high rise buildings. The neighbourhood was once known for being the den of India's most notoroious criminal and underworld don
Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar.
Dawood operated his unerworld circuit from his Pakmodia Street residence before he fled the country in late 80s.
Across the street lived Dawood's aide and fugitive gangster Chhota Shakeel in Ismail Building at Temkar Street. On November 14, this year, three Bhendi Bazaar properties of Dawood including the two-storied Shabnam Guest House building, six flats in Damarwala building and the restaurant Raunaq Afroz, also known as Delhi Zaika, went under the hammer. The Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT) won the three properties in an auction carried out by the Ministry of Finance, under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (SAFEMA) Forfeiture of Properties Act.
The trust was keen to buy the three properties for a redevelopment project carried out by them at Bhendi Bazaar.
It is believed that Hotel Raunaq Afroz was one of the first properties purchased by Dawood after he took control of his smuggling business from Haji Mastan. The first and the third floor apartments in the Damarwala building belonged to Dawood's ancestors.
Even after Dawood left India in 1986, his mother continued to stay in Damarwala building. When Dawood's brother Iqbal Kaskar was deported from Dubai, he lived in the building until August this year when the Hussaini building collapsed. Dawood's other property — Shabnam Guest house, a double-storey structure in Yakub street was occupied by Dawood's younger siblings — Haseena and Iqbal.
"Bhendi Bazaar has always been in the news for having housed several gangsters of yesteryear. Various members of Dawood Ibrahim's and Chhota Shakeel's gang had connection with the area. The gangs still have their prominence in the locality. A lot of D-gang members stayed in the nearby area —Dongri and Mohammad Ali Road areas," said a senior police official, requesting anonymity.
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