Demonetisation effect: Sabarmati jail's inmate seeks bail to exchange notes

What is known and felt is that demonetisation has impacted every segment of the society. What is not known is that it has also unnerved the unlikeliest lot of them all, namely those behind bars. In an unusual development, a 40-year-old director of a hospital is struggling to procure bail so that he could exchange his stock of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes lying at his home.The inmate is embroiled in an allegation of immoral trafficking. Earlier, he had applied for bail on two occasions: first one was rejected and the second time he withdrew his bail application from Gujarat High Court fearing his plea could be rejected once again. On Friday, he submitted a bail application for the third time at the Gandhinagar court.
Adalaj police said, “Naroda resident Bharat Mali, 40, is a Director at Swapna Srushti Multi-specialty Hospital in Krushnanagar, Nava Naroda. He lives with his wife and son. He has been accused by a Pune woman of pushing her into illegal trafficking. She has accused Mali of calling her to Ahmedabad under the pretext of getting her work but later pushed her into immoral trafficking.” Based on the complaint, Adalaj police arrested him on October 21. He was booked under IPC Section 323 and later sent to Sabarmati Central Jail. Mali, who resides in a bungalow in Nava Naroda and owns two cars, had applied for bail on October 26 but his plea was rejected.
An inmate can procure bail before a charge sheet is filed within the stipulated 90 days by the police. However, the discretion of granting the bail lies with the court. An inmate can get the default bail after the charge sheet is filed, under the Indian Penal Code. However, looking at demonetisation, Mali is eager to get bail before the charge sheet is filed. Bharat Mali’s lawyer Jagat Patel told Mirror, “Bharat is a Director in a 25-bed private hospital which was established in September 2015. He has been filing income tax returns since 2001. He should be allowed bail so that he could exchange old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes like any other citizen.”
Patel added, “My client wants temporary bail. If we wait for the charge sheet, it would be too late. By then, the deadline of depositing and exchanging old currency would lapse and my client will incur financial loss.” Bharat’s brother Pankaj Mali said, “We live in a joint family. My brother Bharat is the signatory in all the bank accounts. His presence is necessary to exchange the currency as well as withdraw money from the account. If the money is not withdrawn our household expenses will not be taken care of and even the hospital operations will come to a standstill.”
Man seeks leniency in paying maintenance to wife
In another case, Vadodara resident Siraj Ahmed Sheikh has made an appeal in the Family Court that he be allowed some leniency (a rescheduled date) in paying maintenance to his ex-wife as he has to make arrangements for the new currency. Sheikh pays a monthly maintenance of Rs 7,000 per month to his wife.