Rashmi Rajput / NDTV

Mumbai, Aug 6: Malls across the country have been on alert since the blasts in Ahmedabad, but ironically at this time, many malls in Mumbai may just be the safest. However, it is not about how secure or not they are.

Lying underneath the glitz is a hard truth. Many upcoming malls in the western suburbs of Mumbai are funded by the underworld.

Papu Savla is a rising power broker of the gambling world and former member of Arun Gawli's gang. Savla owns seven malls in the western suburbs worth over Rs 300 crore.

The shopping havens are ironically considered safe investments. It is a trend that came to light with a case.

The Sara and Sahara commercial complex in south Mumbai is allegedly owned by fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim. His brother Iqbal Kaskkar was arrested in September 2006 and later acquitted by the court in June 2007.

The 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai are a grim reminder of terror attacks funded by the underworld. Therefore, questions will be obviously raised and the prime question being - How can high-risk malls be owned by members of the underworld?