Court imposes fine shopkeeper in MP for refusing to accept Rs 10 coins

A shopkeeper will have to pay a fine of Rs 200 for refusing to accept two Rs 10 coins from a customer in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district.

A magistrate's court also sentenced the shopkeeper, Arun Jain, to stay put in the court till it rises for the day.

The court at Jaura town yesterday found Jain guilty of defying an order issued by the district collector in this regard.

Collectors of several districts had such issued last year following rumours that these coins had been scrapped.

Besides imposing the fine, Judicial Magistrate J P Chidar also sentenced Jain to confinement "till the court rises", Assistant Public Prosecutor Bhupendra Singh said.

Akash, the complainant, visited Paras Emporium run by Jain on October 17, 2017 to purchase two handkerchiefs. When he gave two coins of Rs 10, Jain refused to accept them, claiming that the coins were no longer valid.

Akash cited the collector's order which made it clear that these coins were legal tender, but Jain refused to budge.

The customer then filed a complaint at Jaura police station and Jain was booked under IPC section 188 (disobedience of public servant's order).