SC displeased with government for delayed response on demonetisation

The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed its displeasure over an adjournment sought by the Centre, after a Constitution bench assembled to adjudicate a clutch of pleas challenging the government's November 2016 decision to demonetise ₹500 and ₹1,000 currency notes.

"Normally, a Constitution bench never adjourns like this. We never rise like this once we have started. It is very embarrassing for this court," Justice BV Nagarathna of the Constitution bench remarked, even as it accepted the request and posted the matter for hearing next on November 24-25.

The five-member bench comprising justices S Abdul Nazeer, BR Gavai, AS Bopanna, V Ramasubramanian and Nagarathna had on October 12 directed the government and the Reserve Bank of India to file comprehensive affidavits on the matter. On Wednesday, attorney general for India R Venkataramani sought a week's time to finalise the affidavit, and said he was "deeply sorry" for the delay.


Submitting that it was embarrassing for him also to seek an adjournment, the AG said: "The affidavit will be useful for all of us to proceed in some structured way. Otherwise, the course of action may be unnavigated."

The affidavit will be presented by "Wednesday or Thursday" next week, he assured the court, while adding that there were certain "serious and sincere" problems on account of which the affidavit could not be filed. The RBI too has not filed its affidavit.

The counsel appearing on behalf of the RBI said the central bank had been working day and night to answer all the allegations levelled by the petitioners.