14 February,2009 06:47 AM IST | | Varun Singh
Ashok Samani, a resident of Marine Drive, says it made sense to go for the eight flats at Worli since they were available for such a low price
Stockbroker Ashok Samani, who, at Rs 32.60 crore, became the highest bidder at the auction of Harshad Mehta's eight interconnected flats in Worli's Madhuli Apartments yesterday, was a visibly happy man.
"When the flats are available at such a nice location and at such a low price, why should I not buy them? I have a joint family I have three sisters.
We will all stay there," said Samani, who said he had also purchased shares belonging to Mehta worth Rs 25 crore that were in the court's possession in 2005.
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Samani, a stockbroker with the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange, stays in Parijat building, Marine Drive. "I bought the flats because the bids that the flats had received were way too low," said Samani, who has never been to Madhuli.
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On February 6, the court had declared the bid of Rs 20 crore by Dr Bimal and Amal Mehta, the highest.
However, the special court kept the bid open for another week and invited other bidders to participate.
Viren Shah, treasurer of Madhuli, said, "I spoke to Ashok in the afternoon. While talking to me, he sounded very confident. Even in the court, he seemed very confident about his decisions."
However, Mehta's mother Rasila who was allowed by the Supreme Court to bid for her flats was not permitted to do so by the Special Court, citing non-submission of the earnest amount of Rs 80 lakh that was mandatory for all bidders.
