Mumbai:
One of India's best-known scientists, Homi Bhabha's sprawling bungalow in Mumbai has been sold to an unknown buyer for Rs.372 crores.
Reports in the media said that the property fetched Rs. 115 crore more than the reserve price of Rs. 257 crore.
The three-storey Malabar Hills bungalow with a built-up area of over 15,000 square feet on a plot measuring 1,593 square metres, offers a beautiful view of the sea.
Scientists like Bharat Ratna awardee C.N.R. Rao had been demanding that "Mehrangir" be turned into a museum by the government as a tribute to Bhabha, widely regarded as the the father of India's atomic energy programme.
Bhabha died in a plane crash in 1966, and his brother Jamshed, a patron of the arts and culture, became the custodian of the estate.
When he died in 2007, the property was transferred to the National Centre for Performing Arts, an institution that he was closely involved with.
Some employees of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) had recently petitioned the Centre and the Bombay High Court to stop the proposed sale of the large home.
The High court had on Monday refused to stop the sale, but agreed to hear the case on Monday, stating that the auction could be revoked, if required.
