Maharashtra
Diamantaire Nirav Modi’s HCL House price slashed, DRT orders re-auction in Feb
Finding no takers for fugitive diamantaire Nirav D. Modi’s one property, its price has been slashed and the DRT has ordered its re-auction, along with certain other prime assets, in one of the cases pertaining to the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.
Last week, the DRT-I Recovery Officer Ajeet Tripathi put up the HCL House in Marol for e-auction — plus three other lots of properties — to recover a portion of the outstanding of a staggering Rs 22,13,16,39,411.
When it went on the block in September 2022, the unsold HCL House, comprising the entire building with the land, carried a reserve price tag of Rs 52 crore, which has now been slashed to Rs 40 crore, as per the DRT-I announcement.
Besides, the DRT-I has put on the auction block other assets of Modi, including Offices No. 2001-2002 on the 20th floor of the posh Peninsula Park B in Lower Parel with a reserve price of Rs 66 crore, plus over Rs 1.72 crore outstanding maintenance dues till December 2021.
Another property of Modi, the 6th floor of the Mafatlal Centre in Nariman Point along with four parking slots will also go under the e-hammer with a reserve price of Rs 62 crore, besides unpaid maintenance charges for five years coming to over Rs 1.17 crore till May 2022.
Modi’s huge residential 4-BHK flat in Grosvenor House at Peddar Road is going up for auction sale with a reserve price of Rs 15.87 crore, further details of which are not available. Modi also has another address in the prestigious Al Shera Towers, Dubai.
The encumbrances or outstandings on HCL House and Grosvenor House are not known and all the properties shall be auctioned off on the basis of ‘as is where is’ and ‘as is what is’.
The e-auction is scheduled for February 10 — a week after the DRT-I ordered the sale of Modi’s two tony flats in the YOOPUNE housing scheme in Pune, valued at a total of Rs 18 crore, on February 3.
In the fresh auction list concerning PNB versus Firestar International Ltd, the names figuring are Modi and his group companies like Bentley Properties Pvt. Ltd., MAK Business Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., ANM Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., NDM Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., Neeshal Trading Pvt. Ltd. — all operating from a common address at Opera House.
The other companies are: Firestone Trading Pvt. Ltd., Paundra Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. and Radashir Jewellery Co. Ltd. — all registered in a single address at the Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) in Bandra Kurla Complex.
The February 3 and 10 e-auctions may help the PNB and a consortium of around 15 banks to recover a miniscule portion of massive dues, pending since the past five years after the country’s mega-banking scam was admitted by these banks in February 2018.
After the PNB’s complaint on the scam, estimated at over Rs 14,000 crore, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered the first offence in January 2018 — but by then Modi, his wife Ami and other accused had already fled India.
Later, other probe agencies like Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax Department (ITD) entered the picture targeting the two prime accused — Modi and his maternal uncle Mehul C. Choksi — but both had flown the coop well before the scam erupted to shake the roots of the Indian banking sector.
Later it came to light that Modi was holed up in London and Choksi has cosily settled as a citizen of Antigua & Barbuda Isles, West Indies, and both are awaiting their extradition to India — expectedly soon.
In the past, the ED-ITD had auctioned off certain movable and immovable assets — like properties, expensive paintings, artefacts, high-end vehicles, etc., — to recover small amounts of its dues.
“Proclamation of Sale under Rules 38, 52(2) of the Second Schedule of the Income Tax Act, 1961, read with the Recovery of Debts Due to Bank and Financial Institutions Act, 1993,” said the latest DRT-I order of January 5.
Maharashtra
Heavy rainfall in Mumbai; waterlogging disrupts traffic, railway services

Continuous heavy rainfall has disrupted normal life in Mumbai and its adjoining areas, as waterlogging at several locations is causing considerable inconvenience to commuters and motorists.
Heavy rains that have continued since Saturday night have resulted in severe waterlogging on the eastern side of Nalasopara Railway Station.
Despite the waterlogged conditions, passengers have been forced to wade through accumulated water to reach their destinations. Large crowds of passengers were also seen inside the station premises amid the ongoing rainfall.
Meanwhile, heavy rains have continued to lash Vasai-Virar city since Saturday night. Due to the persistent rainfall, several roads in Nalasopara, including areas around Centre Park and Tulinj Bridge, have become waterlogged, creating difficulties for motorists as well as pedestrians during the morning hours.
Heavy rainfall has also continued in Mumbai’s Dadar area, leading to inconvenience for commuters travelling through the locality. The railway tracks at Kurla station have also been flooded following the continuous downpour, affecting movement in and around the station.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar for Sunday, forecasting thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, light to moderate rainfall and strong winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph at some places.
The weather department said, “The sky will generally remain cloudy with occasional moderate rain or thundershowers, accompanied by lightning and strong winds of 40-50 kmph. Isolated areas may also experience isolated heavy rain.”
Mumbai is likely to witness further rainfall on Monday as well.
The prevailing weather conditions are expected to keep rainfall activity over the city and neighbouring areas.
The IMD has forecast moderate rainfall in Mumbai for the day, which also marks the first day of the famous Ganesh festival.
The idol immersion processions are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, and according to the weather forecast, the city is also expected to receive light to moderate rainfall on that day.
Maharashtra
Construction work on the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road targeted for completion by December 2028; Additional Municipal Commissioner inspects the site.

To alleviate traffic congestion and ensure smooth, convenient travel within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched a major infrastructure project known as the ‘Mumbai Coastal Road (North).’ Spanning approximately 60 kilometers—including interchanges and link roads—this mega-project aims to connect the Versova and Bhayandar areas via a coastal route. The construction work has been divided into seven packages: Packages A, B, C, D, E, F, and the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road (DBLR). Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar visited and inspected the Bhayandar interchange site (part of the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road/Package 7), located within the limits of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation, and issued necessary instructions during the visit.
The Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road is a crucial project for the Mumbai and Mira-Bhayandar regions, and construction is currently underway. It will establish a direct and rapid road connection between Dahisar West and Bhayandar West. The total length of this road project is approximately 5.135 kilometers. The project encompasses various engineering structures, including elevated roads, roads on stilts through mangrove areas, high-level structures over creeks, elevated corridors over salt pan lands, connecting roads and interchanges for traffic distribution, and flyovers. The main elevated road of the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road project—spanning approximately 3.83 km in length and 45 meters in width—will serve as the final leg of the Mumbai Coastal Road (North). Mr. Bangar visited the site and reviewed the preliminary works. Currently, the installation of gabion walls is underway; additionally, piling (deep foundation) and the construction of pile caps are progressing. Several components of the project have already been completed, including 60 piles, 5 pile caps, 4 bridge piers, pier caps, and the ninth section of the bridge. State-of-the-art machinery is deployed at the site, and a temporary bridge system is operational for access. Work related to the ‘launching girder’ is scheduled to commence in the second week of October; Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar reviewed detailed information regarding this. Bangar issued instructions to expedite the land acquisition process required for the project and to prepare a priority list in this regard. He emphasized the need to secure cooperation from the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation and other relevant authorities. He also directed that safety-related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) be strictly adhered to, adequate barricading be installed at the site during construction, and the work be completed to high standards within the stipulated timeframe. He instructed that planning and execution be carried out with the aim of completing the project by December 2028. Deputy Commissioner (Infrastructure) Shri Girish Nikam and Deputy Chief Engineer (Mumbai Coastal Road – North) Vaibhav Gandhi were present on the occasion, accompanied by the concerned engineers and consultants.
Maharashtra
Gutkha and scented betel nut worth approximately ₹1.18 crore seized in Mumbai; 9 arrested.

Mumbai: Authorities have claimed the seizure of banned gutkha worth ₹1.18 crore within the jurisdiction of the Bhandup Police Station. Acting on a tip-off regarding the transportation and sale of banned gutkha and scented betel nut, the Senior Police Inspector of Bhandup Police Station dispatched Assistant Police Inspector Vinod Lad and his team to verify the information and take action. Based on the intelligence received, the team laid a trap and conducted a raid on September 12 at approximately 4:25 AM at the Municipal Corporation parking area on Village Road, Nahur. During the operation, they seized five vehicles—comprising one container truck, two tempos, one Bolero, and one pickup truck—and arrested a total of nine individuals. The seized contraband included banned scented betel nut products (such as ‘Varanasi Aashiq’ scented betel nut and scented tobacco) valued at ₹20,21,100, along with five motor vehicles from various companies valued at ₹98 lakh; the total value of the seized property amounts to ₹1,18,21,100. The five vehicles, the nine accused, and the contraband have been taken into custody, and proceedings to register a formal case at the Bhandup Police Station are currently underway. This successful and noteworthy operation was carried out under the guidance of Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar Sharma (Law and Order), Additional Commissioner of Police Dhananjay Kulkarni (East Region), Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhay Singh Deshmukh (Zone 3), and Assistant Commissioner of Police Ajay Joshi (Bhandup Division), by a team comprising Senior Police Inspector Sapna Khirsagar, Assistant Police Inspector Vinod Lad, Police Havaldars Hiralal Charande, Akesh Tirmare, and Ganesh Sonone, and Police Constables Vikas Shinde and Vijaykumar Pawar.
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