New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hearing urgently a plea, challenging the Delhi High Court’s judgement that allowed exchange of ₹2,000 currency notes without any identification.
A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and KV Viswanathan told advocate Ashwini 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)”.
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Citing media reports, Upadhyay submitted that kidnappers, gangsters, drug smugglers, etc., are exchanging their money and ₹50,000 crore have been exchanged in lieu of ₹2000 notes in the last one week. He urged the court to grant urgent hearing in the matter. The bench reiterated that he can mention the matter before the chief and “we are doing nothing…bring to the notice of the RBI…”
Upadhyay pressed that money was being exchanged by mining mafias, kidnappers, neither there is a requirement of requisition slip and also no identity proof is required.
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“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,” said Upadhyay. The Supreme Court bench allowed Upadhyay to mention the matter after the vacation.
Upadhyay in the plea noted, “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 ₹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 further submitted that the RBI admits in the notification that total value ₹Rs 2000 banknotes in circulation have declined from ₹6.73 lakh crore to ₹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.
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It may be recalled that the high court had on Monday dismissed a plea challenging the RBI and SBI notifications, that permit exchange of the withdrawn ₹2,000 notes without any identity proof.
A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad noted that in order to ensure that there is a smooth transition ₹2,000 denomination banknotes, which continue to be a legal tender till September, 2023, i.e., for four months, banks have provided facilities for conversion of these banknotes to other denominations, therefore, the present case is not the case of demonetisation but withdrawal of ₹2,000 denomination banknotes from circulation.
