Surat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pinstripe suit which had his name woven into it was on Friday sold for Rs. 4.31 crore on the third and final day of auction in Surat.
A diamond merchant Hitesh Laljibhai Patel bought the suit at the auction for which he had earlier made an offer of Rs. 3.61 crore.
Earlier, Surat-based diamond trader Mukesh Patel had made a staggering bid of Rs 2.31 crore on the last day of the auction. Patel had earlier offered Rs 2 crore, but later raised the bid through a written offer of Rs 2.31 crore.
"I had lost courage as the bidding amount kept on increasing. Then I talked to my business partner who showed readiness to make the bid of Rs 2.31 crore," said Patel, who came to the auction venue with his business partner Sanjay Movaliya.
"We will go ahead as per our capacity. We wish to contribute to the 'Clean Ganga' mission and that is the reason we have increased our bid," he said.
The auction at the Science Convention Centre will close at 5 pm today after which the articles will be handed over to the highest bidder.
Prior to Patel, a Haryana-based company's MD offered Rs 2.09 crore for the suit.
There have been 11 bids so far today, with four offers of more than Rs two crore to claim the suit that Modi wore at his meetings with US President Barack Obama during his India visit last month.
Prior to Mukesh Patel, Haryana-based LPS Bossard company's MD Rajesh Jain, through his representative Himanshu Parmar, made an offer of Rs 2.09 crore for the suit. This was the second bid by Jain, who had earlier offered to buy the suit for Rs 1.85 crore.
"The good cause of funds going to 'Clean Ganga' mission is the motivational factor for the bid. Besides, it is the responsibility of the industries to make bid for a good cause," Parmar said.
Earlier, another Surat-based diamond trader Hitesh Patel had offered Rs 2.08 crore, which was his third bid of the day after Rs 1.61 crore and Rs 1.75 crore.
"I have made the bid of Rs 2.08 crore for Modi suit. I don't know how further I will go, but as this fund will be utilised to clean river Ganga, whatever I give would be less," Hitesh said.
Earlier in the day, businessmen Lavji Badshah and Jayanti Aklara made a joint offer of Rs 1.81 crore to purchase the controversial suit.
