Ajay Shrivastava has travelled from Delhi to Mumbai over 40
times in past 19 years to attend the court but still has not been able to get
possession of property that he won in an auction arranged by Income Tax
department.
The property consisted of two shops in Nagpada of Mumbai
& was deemed as belonging to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. It is under
possession of Dawood's late sister Haseena Parker's family.
For the first time in year 2000 IT dept had organised an
auction of Dawood's 11 seized properties. The officials waited throughout the
day at Colaba's Diplomat Hotel where the event was arranged but nobody turned
up to bid. I reported in Aaj Tak next day (which was a 20 minutes news capsule
on Doordarshan those days & not a channel) - "Dawood stays in Karachi
but his fear still exists in Mumbai. Nobody dares to bid on his property".
Ajay Shrivastava, a lawyer who saw my story sensed an
opportunity in the news. It was an opportunity to display his patriotism and
also get praise from his party Shiv Sena with whose student unit in Delhi he
was attached with. In 1999 he shot into fame for digging up pitch of
Phirozeshah Kotla Stadium in Delhi on call by Shiv Sena to protest against
playing cricket with Pakistan.
The next bidding was in March 2001. He flew down from Delhi
and participated in the auction. He won the two shops after bidding 2.5
lakh rupees. He was the only participant in the auction.
Although, Shrivastava won the auction things didn't turn out
as per his expectations. Shiv Sena neither acknowledged nor appreciated his
endeavour. Sena Supremo Bal Thackeray even didn't give Shrivastava time to meet
him. Off the record senior Sena leaders said that they had nothing to do
with what Shrivastava has done. He had done it in personal capacity without
consent of the party.
After winning the bid, Shrivastava went to Nagpada's
Jayrajbhai lane where the two shops were located under heavy police protection
to inspect the property. However, as soon as he reached the spot, he was
gheraoed by a hostile mob who questioned his motive to bid for the property.
Somebody shouted - "He is Chhota Rajan's man". Within five minutes he
had to leave the spot on advice of local cops who feared that there would be a
law & order issue if he stood their any longer. That was the last when he
saw of that property.
Soon Shrivastava got a call from Chhota Shakeel, who
threatened him subtly - "Vakeel Saab, I think you have deposited the
earnest money by mistake not knowing what you have done. Don't pay the
remaining amount & get out of it". Shrivastava deposited the amount on
third day after receiving Shakeel's call. More calls with open threats followed
after that. Meanwhile, IB got inputs that there was a plan to eliminate him
& he was provided security by Delhi Police.
Shrivastava petitioned in Small Causes Court to get
possession of the property. The respondent Haseena Parker avoided attending the
hearings. Instead seven to eight men from Nagpada came in the court premises to
intimidate him, he recollects. Shrivastava came in his lawyers uniform to avoid
identification. After repeated hearings when Haseena didn't turn up,
Shrivastava applied for an ex-parte order. This alarmed her and began taking
the litigation seriously.
In 2010 the court ruled in favour of Shrivastava &
ordered the property to be given in his possession. However, the respondent
went for appeal and the matter is still pending since then. In between
Shrivastava offered to donate the property to Mumbai Police but then police
commissioner A.N.Roy refused to give Shrivastava an audience when he got to
know about the issue saying he was too busy.
Shrivastava has decided to pursue his legal struggle.
"It not the question of occupying those two small shops. It the issue of
challenging and defeating a terrorist", he said. Now Shrivastava is
planning to bid for Dawood's ancestral home in Ratnagiri district.
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