The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated the process to attach three building plots in Worli, Mumbai, linked to the late drug trafficker Iqbal Memon, also known as Mirchi, under the Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) Act. The relevant order is expected to be issued this week.
Properties Under Attachment
The three properties—Rabia Mansion, Marium Lodge, and Sea View—span a total area of 4,970.41 square metres, approximately 1.2 acres. These plots were previously attached by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). However, a few days ago, a court permitted the agency to reattach them under the FEO Act. The plots, which once directly abutted the sea, are now situated at the southern end of the Worli promenade, adjacent to the luxurious high-rise Samudra Mahal.
Broader Powers Under FEO Act
The FEO law grants the government broader powers to confiscate assets of individuals declared fugitive economic offenders after court confirmation. It also allows the government to determine the future use of these assets, including auctioning them. In the past three months, the ED has confiscated and taken possession of several properties belonging to Mirchi and his associates under the FEO Act. These include the closed Meenas Hotel plot in Juhu, covering 448 square metres, a farmhouse in Mahabaleshwar, and shares in plots of Irani Bungalow and Bharucha Bungalow in Panchgani. The ED is currently deciding the future use of these confiscated assets, including the possibility of auction.
Details of Confiscated Properties
Meenas Hotel properties, including a portion of a ground-plus-four-storey building near Juhu-Tara Road, were part of a partnership firm in which Mirchi’s son Junaid was a partner. The farmhouse in Metgutad village, Mahabaleshwar, was linked to Mirchi’s wife Hajra and their son Junaid. Additionally, approximately 3.5 acres of land in Kenjal, Wai (near Mahabaleshwar), and shares in the two Panchgani bungalows along with adjoining areas were confiscated.
Background of the Case
Mirchi died in London in 2013. In 2022, a special court declared his wife Hajra and their two sons, Asif and Junaid, as fugitive economic offenders. The ED subsequently moved an application seeking confiscation of their properties under the FEO Act. Earlier, the court had permitted the ED to attach various properties of Mirchi. Last month, the court allowed the attachment of the three buildings along with other assets, collectively valued at Rs 600 crore, under the FEO Act, stating that “there is strong reason to believe that the properties are proceeds of crime or benami property owned by the accused who are already declared as FEO.”
