SC refuses to stop various courts from hearing pleas on demonetisation

The bench presided by Chief Justice T S Thakur asked attorney general Mukul Rohatgi if there's a shortage of Rs 100 notes

The Supreme Court today declined the request of the central government that it stay all petitions against demonetisation pending in various high courts and other forums stating that people have a right to approach courts when they have grievances.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi moved the bench presided over by Chief Justice T S Thakur explaining the steps taken to ease the crisis following the ban on notes of the denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 announced on November 8. He claimed that the queues before banks and post offices have become shorter and the government was taking all steps to bring the situation normal.

However, the court put certain hard questions to the government like the logic of reducing the limit of withdrawal from Rs 4,500 to Rs 2,000 while the counsel had promised at the last hearing that the limit will be raised. The reduction was exactly the opposite of the government's word. The court asked counsel whether there was shortage of Rs 100 notes also. The judges said that people are frantic and they have a right to approach courts and that they cannot be stopped.

As on Tuesday, there was a verbal duel between Rohatgi and senior counsel Kapil Sibal, who represented one of the several petitioners. While Sibal said that the ordinary people have been put in miserable situation, the Attorney General alleged that Sibal was politicising the issue for the benefit of his party.

The court then asked both parties to submit data justifying their claims -- that the situation was easing as claimed by the government and it was as bad as ever as claimed by the petitioners. The court will examine the data next Friday.

READ OUR FULL COVERAGE ON THE MODI GOVT'S DEMONETISATION MOVE