06 July,2023 02:16 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondent
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Cash amounting to over Rs 27 lakh, which included a significant number of Rs 2000 notes, was confiscated by the police in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, in an operation conducted on Wednesday, the officials said, reported the PTI on Thursday.
The individuals carrying the currency notes, who were believed to be alleged sympathizers of Naxalite groups, were apprehended during the operation, an official said.
The withdrawal of Rs 2000 currency notes from circulation was announced by the Reserve Bank of India in May this year, with a deadline of September 30 for depositing or exchanging existing notes. Acting on a tip-off, the police set up a checkpoint and detained the two individuals on the Aheri-Perimili road, near Aheri, around 300 km from Nagpur in Maharashtra, according to the PTI.
Upon inspecting their bag, the police discovered cash amounting to Rs 27.62 lakh, including a mix of already exchanged currency and the targeted Rs 2000 notes. The seized cash consisted of 607 notes of Rs 2000, 3,072 notes of Rs 500, seven notes of Rs 200, and 106 notes of Rs 100, an official said.
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According to the officials, during the interrogation, the arrested individuals disclosed that a Naxalite member named Giridhar had provided them with the entire cash sum in Rs 2000 notes. They were instructed to exchange the notes for Rs 500 denomination and return the amount to Giridhar after deducting their commission, the PTI reported.
In May, the Reserve Bank of India, in statement had said that it will withdraw Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation and that the notes will continue to be legal tender till September 30.
"RBI asks banks to provide deposit and/or exchange facility for Rs 2,000 notes until September 30, 2023," read the statement.
RBI in its statement further said that exchange facility for Rs 2,000 bank notes up to Rs 20,000 at a time would be available from May 23.
The Rs 2000 notes, a denomination of the Indian rupees, was introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 8 November 2016, following the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. It has been in circulation since 10 November 2016. The Rs 2000 note is part of the Mahatma Gandhi New Series of banknotes and features a completely redesigned appearance.
(with PTI inputs)
