Supreme Court Seeks Report From Registry on Ashwini Upadhyay's Plea Against RBI Decision on Rs 2,000 Note Exchange

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a report from its registry with regard to a plea by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay for urgent listing of his petition challenging the Delhi High Court's May 29 judgment which allowed exchange of Rs 2,000 currency notes without any identification slip.

Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay mentioned the matter 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, however, asked Upadhyay when the matter has previously been mentioned before another vacation bench, how he could mention it again.

Upadhyay, on his part, said 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 of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K V Viswanathan told advocate 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 Justice of India”.

In his plea, Upadhyay said 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) of the Constitution.