Surat's Dawoodi Bohra Community Member Faces E-Auction Over Defaulted Loan Worth ₹66.74 Crore

Surat: The Surat Special Economic Zone (SurSEZ) is currently witnessing a significant stir as the ISARC-Canara Bank-I/2013-14 Trust has taken the unprecedented step of issuing an e-auction sale notice for the lace manufacturing unit owned by Badri Lacewala, a prominent figure in the Dawoodi Bohra community. The action follows Lacewala's default on a substantial loan amounting to Rs 66.74 crore obtained from public sector banks, under the provisions of the Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act 2002 (SARFAESI).

Badri Lacewala, along with partners Murtaza Ahmedbhai Lacewala and Zehra Lacewala of Burhani Lace, a partnership firm, were declared defaulters for failing to repay the loan borrowed from Canara Bank. In response, the ISARC-Canara Bank-I/2013-14 Trust has sealed Lacewala's property in SurSEZ, located in Sachin, and issued a public e-auction notice for the auctioning process of the Burhani Lace manufacturing plant.

Aims of trust, constituted by Canara Bank

The Trust, established by Canara Bank, aims to recover the machinery of the lace manufacturing plant, stock of manufactured goods, and the leased property of the SEZ. The authorized officer of ISARC, appointed for loan recovery, has initiated the auction process, valuing the property based on its current condition. Two officers, Rajeshwar Raghavan and Dharmesh Mehta, have been appointed to oversee the recovery of the outstanding debt amounting to Rs. 60.74 crore as of February 13, 2023.

Previous attempts to auction the property on January 22, 2024, faced hurdles due to insufficient creditor participation. However, ISARC - Canara Bank has set the reserve cost of the factory building at Rs. 1.34 crore and plant machinery at Rs. 13.26 lakh, totaling Rs. 1.47 crore. Given the property's location within the SEZ, the auction will adhere to government rules applicable to such zones.

The development has stirred attention not only due to its financial implications but also because of Badri Lacewala's stature within the Dawoodi Bohra community in Surat.