The Supreme Court today granted the Centre one last chance to file its response in connection with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a CBI investigation into the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) exchange of defaced currency notes amounting to Rs 30 crore, Press Trust of India reported.
The notes were allegedly linked to a separatist group from Kashmir.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan observed that sufficient time had been given to the Union of India to file its reply but granted an additional four weeks “in the interest of justice.”
The case concerns a PIL filed by Satish Bhardwaj, who claims that in 2013, the Jammu branch of the RBI exchanged these defaced currency notes, which he argues were part of a plan by the separatist group “Kashmir Graffiti” to destabilize the region.
According to Bhardwaj, the group had allegedly stamped separatist slogans on Rs 30 crore worth of Indian currency between May and August of 2013.
Bhardwaj has urged the court to order a CBI investigation, arguing that the RBI’s actions violated the law, as currency notes with defaced or stamped markings cannot be exchanged under RBI regulations.
The Supreme Court’s decision follows concerns raised about the potential misuse of currency to incite unrest in Jammu Kashmir.