By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, July 12, 2016 : Odisha government tasted success on Monday when it could sell some of the attached properties of chit fund firm Safex Infra India Ltd in Odisha through e-auction.

Sources said, five plots measuring 932 decimal of the total 14.159 acre land were today sold off for Rs 16, 71, 365 against the base price of Rs 13. 58 lakh.

These five plots at Ranajhila village under Purushottampur panchayat in Ganjam district were put up for sale through e-auction on the website of government-owned MSTC Ltd.

But only five out of 84 plots of the Ponzi firm in Chhatrapur and Purushottampur could be auctioned on Monday. The total value of the immovable properties of Safex Infra India Ltd is pegged at Rs 1.55 crore, sources said.

The government tried to sell some of the properties through e-auction on June 16, but no bidders turned up.

The special designated court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge on May 16 this year had ordered auction of the property belonging to Safex Infra India Ltd.

The court had directed the Competent Authority, ADM Cuttack, under the Odisha Protection of Interests of Depositors (In Financial Establishments) (OPID) Act, 2011 to sell the movable and immovable properties and distribute the proceeds among the depositors.

The Ponzi firm, which was headquartered in Chhatrapur, had collected crores of rupees from gullible investors from across the state. Based on the allegations by the investors, the crime branch of Odisha police had arrested its managing director, Firoj Khan.