Mumbai: The Income Tax department has urged police and a court receiver appointed by a special court to hand over the properties, allegedly belonging to the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim for recovery of Rs 42 crore dues.

In a letter to police, the income tax department said that it had to recover Rs 42 crore dues from the properties of Dawood and it had come to their knowledge that Sara shopping centre and Sahara shopping complex, allegedly belonging to the don, had been seized.

Police, however, are likely to oppose the move of income tax for seizure of these properties as they do not stand in the names of Dawood and are owned by persons who are allegedly front men of Dawood. In such a case, the plea of income tax department would not meet legal requirements, police sources told reporters.

Police have arrested Dawood's younger brother Iqbal Hassan Ibrahim Shaikh, Abdul Rehman Abdul Gafoor Shaikh and Abdul Sattar Haji Hiva Radhanpur for allegedly evicting a woman from her hut which obstructed Sara shopping centre in South Mumbai.

Police alleged that benami properties of Dawood stood in the names of Abdul Rehman and Abdul Sattar as they were his front men.

On May 19, a court attached Sara shopping centre and Sahara shopping complex as police alleged they belonged to underworld don Dawood, his brother Iqbal and two others. It also appointed senior inspector of Azad maidan police station to attach them and file a report on June 2.

PTI