S Balakrishnan (journalist)

S Balakrishnan (journalist) Biography

S Balakrishnan is a former journalist from Kerala who made big headlines by buying the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's restaurant in Mumbai with a whooping among of 4.28 crore Indian rupees on December 10, 2015. This 63-year-old journalist-turned-activist won all the assets of underworld don in the bid on Wednesday, making big headlines in newspapers and TV channels. He accumulated money through different forms, which includes three lakhs through social media.

He was born on October 27, 1952 in Mumbai to Malayali parents. He spent his childhood days in Matunga. Then his family moved to Ghatkopar and then to Chembur. Currently he resides in Chembur. It was a journalist neighbour who inspired Balakrishnan to take journalism as profession. Balakrishnan saw an advertisement for a job at ‘The Times of India’, which he attended and got the job. This reporter came to limelight by reporting crime news and he covered Dawood’s gang as a crime reporter. He used to meet Varadarajan Mudaliar and many other people related to underworld as a part of his job. He used to be friendly with them and did the work of a spy. He shined as a star writing on underworld Mumbai.

One of the leading reporters of the time, he was offered a Lok Sabha ticket by the Congress though he didn’t accept. He was also offered a seat for the municipal elections by congress in 1985. He won as the elections from ward 149 and served as a counselor till 1992. He formed Desh Seva Samiti, an NGO that works for slum children and now plans to open a computer training centre there with the new property. The bid was owned by Desh Seva Samiti initiated by him.

Dawood’s property was accessed by government following Mumbai bomb blast in 1993.There was no one else to bid for Dawood’s property. Earlier two, it was placed for a bid two times. But everyone feared the underground king. He felt as a great shame to a journalist.  That’s why he decided to move forward with the bid, which includes 7 properties, though he received threats from underworld. He felt it as a feeling of pride for the nation to do the bid, as he was not willing to hear the words of an underworld don who is controlling Daravi, outside India and he doesn’t fear its consequences also. He wants to show that law and order of this country is not determined by an underworld don.

Published: N/A

Updated: December 24, 2015