SC seeks report from registry on plea against RBI's Rs 2,000 note exchange

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked its registry to submit a report in connection with an urgent listing of a plea challenging the Delhi High Court's May 29 judgment allowing exchange of Rs 2,000 currency notes without any identification.

Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay mentioned the matter seeking urgent hearing before a vacation bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal.

Upadhyay contended that the issue is very important as Maoists, terrorists, and separatists were exchanging money.

The bench queried Upadhyay when the matter has already been mentioned, how could it be mentioned again? As he pressed his request saying that there are media reports saying notes worth Rs 80,000 crore have been exchanged, the bench told Upadhyay that it cannot go by media reports and "You mention on Friday, meanwhile, let us see the registry report."

On June 1, the Supreme Court on Thursday declined urgent hearing on Upadhyay's plea challenging the Delhi High Court's May 29 judgment.

Then, a bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K.V. Viswanathan told Upadhyay, appearing-in-person, the court is not taking up these kinds of cases during vacation and "you can always make a mention to the chief (Chief Justice of India)".

Upadhyay had submitted that all the kidnappers, gangsters, drug smugglers etc are exchanging their money and according to media reports in last one week, Rs 50,000 crore have been exchanged and urged the court to grant urgent hearing in the matter. The bench said that he can mention the matter before the CJI, adding: "We are doing nothinga... bring to the notice of the RBI."

Upadhyay pressed that neither there is a requirement of requisition slip and also no identity proof is required. "This is happening for the first time in the world ... I filed a writ in the Delhi High Court and the high court disposed of the matter without issuing notice... this is happening for the first time in the world ... entire black money will become white," Upadhyay had submitted. The bench allowed Upadhyay to mention the matter after the vacation.

The plea, filed by Upadhyay, said: "Petitioner submits that while passing the Judgment, the High Court has failed to appreciate that the RBI Notification dated 19.5.2023... and the SBI Notification dated 20.5.2023, which permits exchange of Rs 2,000 banknotes without even obtaining any requisition slip and identity proof, is manifestly arbitrary and irrational and therefore violates Articles 14 (right to equality)."

It submitted that the RBI admits in the notification that total value of Rs 2,000 banknotes in circulation have declined from Rs 6.73 lakh crore to Rs 3.62 lakh crore.

"Petitioner submits that this Rs 3.11 lakh crore has reached individuals' locker and the rest has otherwise been hoarded by the gangsters, kidnappers, contract killers, illegal arms suppliers, money launderers, drug smugglers, hootch peddlers, human traffickers, gold smugglers, black marketeers, spurious medicine manufacturers, tax evaders, cheaters, looters, separatists, terrorists, Maoists, Naxals, mining mafias, land mafias, satta mafias and corrupt government employees, public servants and politicians," added the plea.

--IANS

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