Dawood Ibrahim's seized properties to go under the hammer in Mumbai today

Mumbai

: Seven listed properties of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, are going to be auctioned on Wednesday at Hotel Diplomat, Colaba, in Mumbai. Dawood, who is behind the 1993 Mumbai blasts, fled India and left behind properties worth crores. His properties were seized and will be auctioned under the Smugglers & Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Properties) Act. One of the properties being auctioned, is located at Pakmodia Street in South Mumbai and is believed to be Dawood's den. Among those vying to get hold of his properties are lawyers and former journalists. But with the underworld don still alive, fear surrounds the auctions and many doubt the its credibility and whether taking posession of the don's properties will be possible without consequences. Former journalist S Balakrishnan, who would be bidding for one of the seven properties of the underworld don, said on Saturday that he has been threatened by the don's aide Chhota Shakeel. \"I received an SMS from Shakeel. He said 'You are taking part in the auction. What happened to you I hope you are okay',\" Balakrishnan said. \"This is their style of saying: keep off,\" he said. \"I am bidding on behalf of my NGO Desh Seva Samiti which works for child welfare and women's empowerment. We will run English speaking and computer training institute at the place. It will be named after great patriot Ashfaqullah Khan. He should be the role model for kids, not Dawood,\" he said. On Thursday, the former journalist visited Pakmodia Street for inspection of the property before the auction. \"It is a ground-plus-one floor structure,\" he added.