Exchange Of ₹ 2000 Notes| Petitioner Says Matter More Important Than Issue In Recent Saturday Hearing On Allahabad HC's Order, SC Refuses Urgent Listing

The Supreme Court today once again refused urgent listing of the plea challenging the notifications enabling the exchange of Rs 2,000 denomination currency notes without any requisition slip and ID proof. The Special Leave Petition has been filed challenging the order of the Delhi High Court which held that the Court should not sit as an appellate authority over the decision of the Government in the matter.

The Vacation Bench of Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Rajesh Bindal refused to consider the matter and asked the Petitioner to approach the Supreme Court after the Summer Vacation. "There is no urgency in the matter, the Coordinate Bench has asked you to approach the Chief Justice after reopening" observed the Bench.

The Bench dictated an order that "There is a report of the Registrar General. In our opinion, the direction of the vacation bench was passed on 1st June 2023, cannot be buried by us. Let the matter be placed before the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India after the summer vacation as already observed by the Coordinate Bench."

The Petitioner, Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, told the Bench that "1.8 Lakh crore banknotes have been exchanged when Journalist asked how much went into the account and how much didn't then there was no answer". He further said that in 10 days, 1.8 Lakh Crore have been exchanged, and in July entire black money held by gangsters, criminals and mafias will be exchanged.

Referring to a Special Bench of the Court conducting a hearing on a Saturday, Ashwini said, "There was an order by the Allahabad High Court on the Jyotish, next date it was taken Suo Motu, Saturday the order was passed. I ask myself whether this matter is less important than the Allahabad High Court's judgement where the suo motu cognizance was taken." He further asked if the Court could at least on the Administrative side ask the Registrar to take instruction from the Chief Justice for listing the matter.

On repeated requests by the Petitioner, Justice Bose remarked that "This is not a public platform but the Court." 

Upadhyay in his plea had alleged that including 48 crore Jana Dhan Bank accounts of BPL families there are a total of 225 Crore Bank Accounts for a population of 142 Crore people in India and that 130 Crore Indians have AADHAR Cards which depicts that every family has a bank account and therefore the RBI should not permit the exchange of Rs. 2000 notes without obtaining identity proof.

The plea also states that 80 Crore Indians receive free grains and would hardly ever use Rs. 2,000/- banknotes. It was also stated in the plea that there are no reasons why the RBI is permitting the currency exchange instead of directing to deposit of Rs. 2000 notes in the Bank Account and that the High Court should ensure that RBI should only allow the deposition of Rs. 2000 banknotes in bank accounts only.