Over 100 residents of Rajiv Nagar in Jammu blocked the Jammu-Srinagar national highway on Wednesday, demanding action against self-proclaimed godman Ashok Jadeja — accused of duping people from across India of crores of rupees.

The protesters from the Sansi community withdrew the agitation after the police assured them to look into the matter. Jadeja has reportedly cheated 200-odd Sansi families, who earn by rag-picking or polishing shoes. These families claim they had deposited about Rs 70 lakh to Jadeja as prasadi, which he used to refer to the money taken from his “devotees”.

Rukmini, a resident of Rajiv Nagar, whose husband died about 15 years ago, was duped to the tune of Rs 1.50 lakh. She has two daughters, both in the early 20s, to marry off. Now, her plans to marry them off in Chandigarh after two months have gone awry.

Like hers, there are many other families at Rajiv Nagar, Kalka Colony and also in parts of Trikuta Nagar, who stand cheated. Sohan Lal, another victim of Jadeja, said, “We were lured into the trap by Jadeja in the name of Sansi community, to which he belongs. He propagated that he was tripling the money only of the members of his community.”

About 150 families have lost Rs 50 lakh in the Rajiv Nagar locality alone, while about Rs 10 lakh each has been lost by Sansi people in Kalka Colony and Trikuta Nagar. Most of the victims claimed they had sold off their valuables and even mortgaged their houses to deposit money with the ‘godman’.

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