: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the government how some people are able to get their hands on new currency notes worth crores of rupees when the public suffers from the rationing of its own money following demonetisation.
In reply, the Centre blamed bank managers for “slipping away” the new notes, and said the “Government of India could not sit and keep watch in every bank branch in the country”.
“How are some people getting crores in new currency?. How are they able to get so much money?” a three-judge Bench of Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud asked the government. “Bank managers are doing this fraud. We have arrested some of them. Look at the raids we did on Axis Bank. At least Rs. 10 crore, of course in new currency, was found hidden somewhere in the bank,” Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi replied.
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Mr. Rohatgi said there was no need to extend the exemptions for the use of demonetised currency notes any more, even in government hospitals and pharmacies. The exemptions expired on Thursday night.
‘What is the danger?’
“We already have in circulation Rs. 5 lakh crore in new currency and another Rs. 2.5 lakh crore in old valid currency,” Mr.Rohatgi said.
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“And is this how you distribute the Rs. 5 lakh crore in new currency?” Chief Justice Thakur asked the government with a smile.
Questioning the government’s decision to do away with exempted categories of payments in old Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 500 notes, Chief Justice Thakur asked what danger the Centre was apprehending from somebody who wants to use the crematoria or wants to admit his loved on in a government hospital or someone who simply wants to buy milk at the booth.
“If you had made available the sufficient number of new currency notes, you could have done away with the exemption. But you are not able to do that and you say ‘no’ to exemptions?” Chief Justice Thakur asked the government.’
“Seventy years of change will take 70 days to complete... Anyway who are these people who have come to the Supreme Court... these lawyers?” the Attorney-General asked. “You are not ready to continue with exemptions to government hospitals and railway ticketing... Can you expect all the patients and the commuters to come to the Supreme Court? These people who have come here are responsible persons,” Chief Justice Thakur responded.