Delhi High Court dismisses plea of Dawood's mother, sister

The Delhi High Court has dismissed the plea of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's mother and sister challenging the proposed confiscation of their properties by the central government.

The duo own seven residential properties in Mumbai. Of these, two are in the name of Ibrahim's mother Amina Bi and five belong to his sister Haseena Ibrahim Parker. The homes are worth crores of rupees and the government believes these were acquired with Dawood's ill-gotten wealth.

A division bench of Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul on Thursday upheld the single judge order saying Amina Bi and Hasina were duly served with notices of forfeiture of their properties in Mumbai under the Smugglers And Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture Of Property) Act (SAFEMA).

The act provides for forfeiture of illegally acquired properties of smugglers and foreign exchange manipulators and their kith and kin. The bench, referring to sections of the SAFEMA, said: "We are not even required to look into your plea as to whether the forfeiture notices were served on you or your lawyer... as the Appellate Tribunal (constituted for forfeited properties under the act) has no power to review its order under the Act."

"The documents establish that you were duly served with the notices and did not challenge it within the prescribed period of 45 (which can be extended by 15 more days under the act)," the court said.

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