Conman Jadeja abused Chharas’ age-old trust in financial dealings.
Everyone wonders how Ashok Jadeja alias Ashok Didawala managed to cheat lakhs of people, duping them of their hard earned money.
Why didn’t anyone come forward and lodged any complaint? Why his community members blindly believed in what he said? The answer to all these questions lies in the panchayat system of Bhantus - the clan Chharas, Sansis and other such communities belong to. According to the panchayat system, a Bhantu cannot escape with any Bhantu’s money.
“There is a rule in our community that a Chhara cannot escape with the money borrowed from any community member. In case he fails to return the money due to any reason, his next generations will have to return the borrowed money,” said Amarsinh Batunge, a Chhara panchayat member.
If a Bhantu fails to give back the borrowed money, the panchayat gives the right to the lender to disturb any social ceremony of the borrower till he returns the money. “It had happened so many times in our community that borrower had tried to solemnise any marriage in the family without clearing his debt and had to face the ire of the lender,” said Chhara Panchayat member Janki Gumane.
Though, Chharas are spread in all parts of the country, they remain in contact with other members of the community and money transaction is one of the reasons. “Ours is close-knit community and the panchayat ensures that financial transactions are done properly and the lenders don’t lose their money,” Gumane said.
Jadeja took full advantage of this financial faith within the community as he was aware that even if he duped community members, they won’t go to the police. “We usually don’t lodge police complaints in cases of financial irregularities as the practice is to settle such matters at the panchayat with the help of community mediators. Generally, the borrower gets some respite in payment of interest amount but the rules are not relaxed without the consent of the lender,” another community leader said.
This was the reason why people started believing in Jadeja and started giving their entire savings to him. “People thought, being a Bhantu Jadeja will never think of escaping with others’ money and will definitely return the money,” a Chhara advocate told DNA.
“If Jadeja wants to remain in the community, he will have to return the money. He may get some respite from the panchayat as people may allow him to return only the principal amount,” a community leader said.
Distribution system
Within the Chhara community, if someone fails to return the money he or she has borrowed, the lender has the right to disturb any religious or social ceremony in the borrower’s family
The system ensures that the lender doesn’t lose his money
If the panchayat decides so, Jadeja and his family will be externed from the community
Jadeja, wife sent to four-day remand
Ashok Jadeja and his wife Neetu have been sent to police remand for a period of four days by the Ahmedabad (rural) court. Seeking remand, CID (crime) said it wanted to find who the other conspirators in the case were. The agency also sought remand as money and jewellery needed to be recovered from the accused, for which further investigation was required.
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