Sara Sahara comes down today, but…
Mumbai: This time, it痴 on. The proposed demolition of the illegally built Sara Sahara Shopping Complex預llegedly owned by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim擁s now set to happen on Saturday.
Postponed twice at the last minute, the police claim they are ready with a force of 300 backed by 150 labourers, 42 engineers, an earth mover, two bulldozers, seven dumpers and gas cutters from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). 荘The demolition got stalled last time because the police were busy in the blast investigations. That was our priority. However, now, we can spare manpower for this (demolition),鋳 said Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil.
And now that they have been promised protection, civic authorities are ready. 荘The occupants have been served eviction notices and we have been promised the required police force for protection. The demolition will begin at 8.30 am on Saturday,鋳 promised Vijay Balamwar, assistant municipal commissioner, who along with deputy municipal commissioner K Kshirsagar will lead the demolition squad.
The two premises, Sara Shopping Centre and Sahara Shopping Complex, spread over 20,000 square metres are located opposite Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market near Mumbai police headquarters. It came up illegally on land owned by the Central Public Works Department, say police, and in connivance with BMC officials.
The complex, the police allege, is a hub of a smuggling business in electronic goods….. that feeds markets in north-east India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
The matter came to light three years ago when the police intercepted telephone conversations between Dawood痴 brother, Iqbal Kaskar, and a co-accused. Iqbal was arrested under MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) after being extradited from Dubai in 2003.
According to the police, Dawood had instructed Iqbal to invest the underworld痴 funds running into crores of rupees in the real estate business.
The trial against Iqbal and other accused is in progress in a special MCOCA court in Mumbai.
Abdul Rehman alias Rehman Boss痴熔ne of the prime accused容ven appealed to the court to stay the demolition on the grounds that it could then destroy evidence against the 荘corrupt鋳 BMC officials involved in the case.
However, on Wednesday, designated MCOCA Judge M R Bhatkar rejected the plea and asked the prosecution to take photographs of the shopping complex which can then be used as evidence against the BMC officials.
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