Task force to unearth properties of Dawood

The government has formed an eight-member task force comprising officials from the police, Income Tax, Ministry of External Affairs and intelligence agencies to unearth and dispose of benami properties acquired by Mumbai underworld dons, particularly Dawood Ibrahim.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Mumbai, Satya Pal Singh, is the only member from Maharashtra. Other dons under the scanner include Abu Salem, Chhota Shakeel and Chhota Rajan.

"There are several figures whose suspected investment in benami real estate will come under scrutiny of the task force. But Dawood's will be our priority," Satya Pal Singh told PTI.

The Mumbai Crime Branch had questioned Deepak Nikalje, producer of Vaastav and younger brother of Chhota Rajan on February 14 about the alleged benami properties of Rajan in the metropolis.

Singh said Deepak Nikalje's questioning was part of the exercise of the task force.

He further said the mandate given to the task force was to identify properties of the underworld in Mumbai and outside and dispose them of. He added there was substantial investment by the underworld outside Mumbai.

According to Singh, the Mumbai Police has identified over 80 properties of Dawood in Mumbai, and the figure was being crosschecked with data available with other departments.

Earlier, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil told PTI the task force would comprise representatives of the Intelligence Bureau, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Home Affairs and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

"The joint secretary of the MHA will be convenor of the task force, and the committee will primarily concentrate on disposing of existing Dawood properties and identifying new ones," Patil said.

The Income Tax department attempted to dispose of some of them but met with little success, as it did not receive any bid.