NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to stay the Modi
government's notification demonetizing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes but asked the Centre to file an affidavit giving details of steps taken to ease
inconvenience faced by citizens due to long queues at banks and ATMs.
"We will not be granting any stay," a bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and D Y Chandrachud said hearing a batch of pleas against demonetization. The remarks were made after some advocates insisted on a stay.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for one of the petitioners, however, said he was not asking for a stay on the notification but seeking answers from the government about the steps taken to remove public inconvenience.
The bench asked Attorney General
Mukul Rohatgi
to file an affidavit about the measures already undertaken by the government and the RBI to minimise public inconvenience and also the steps likely to be undertaken in future.
Without issuing any notice to the Centre or the RBI, the bench posted the matter for further hearing on November 25.
Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi said the government estimates black money size to be Rs 15-16 lakh crore and it expects people to deposit Rs 10-11 lakh crore in banks. "Rest Rs 4-5 lakh crore were being used in northeast and J&K to fuel trouble in India. That will be neutralised," he said.
Rohatgi said the real purpose of the Centre is to force those who have hoarded cash at home to deposit in bank and explain the source of money.
The Prime Minister, in a televised address to the nation, had declared that high denomination notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 will no longer be legal tender from November 8-9 midnight. He had said the government has
declared a "decisive war" against black money and corruption .