Woman strips after being unable to exchange old notes at RBI

A 30-year old woman on Wednesday stripped outside the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) office in New Delhi in protest after she could not exchange her old demonetised currency notes from the central bank for the last three days, police said.

Police said the incident took place at around 12.30 pm when the woman, whose name has been withheld to protect her privacy, and was said to be a resident of Mehrauli in south Delhi, was not allowed to enter the bank.

She has been visiting the RBI from last three days to exchange Rs 5,000 in old notes.

On Wednesday, the woman, who works as a maid, visited the RBI along with her minor child but as she was again not allowed to enter, protested vocally and cursed demonetisation.

"I am disappointed at the misbehaviour of RBI security personnel. When I was cursing the RBI for not allowing me to exchange my savings, the RBI security personnel called local police to keep me away," she said.

"I asked them why I was not being allowed to exchange my hard-earned little amount of money, the policewomen separated me from my child and took me into their vehicle. I came out from the police vehicle and removed my clothes to mark my protest against this misbehaviour of RBI officers, central government and police administration for separating a mother from her child," she said.

The woman, who stripped in the presence of hundreds of people standing to exchange their old currency notes outside RBI, was detained but freed after being taken a little distance away, police said.