Supreme Court refuses to stay petitions against demonetisation in lower courts

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay, for now, the petitions against demonetisation pending before different High Courts and subordinate courts. "It indicates the magnitude of the problem is serious. People are going to the High Courts for relief. This is a serious issue. Let them go," said a bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice Anil R. Dave as Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi urged the apex court to stay all such proceeding in High Courts and subordinate courts. Adjourning the matter for November 25, the court asked the Attorney General to move transfer petitions, which the court will consider. “We will not be granting any stay,” a bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and D Y Chandrachud said. 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. The Centre had on November 8 demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes to what it said was curb black money and corruption.