The Delhi High Court today fixed December 8 for hearing the pleas against demonetisation which questioned the government allowing certain public utilities including hospitals and petrol pumps to use the old notes.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice V K Rao said that it will take up the matter in December as the Supreme Court is seized with the petition of Centre seeking a stay on proceedings before various high courts and other courts against government’s November 8 decision to demonetise high-value currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000.
“We will defer the matter for December 8 and wait for the apex court’s direction on the Centre’s petition,” the court said.
It was, however, opposed by the petitioner’s counsel who has also sought discontinuation of the new Rs 2,000 currency note, terming the move as “unconstitutional and bad in law”.
The Centre had told the Supreme Court that proceedings in various courts except the apex court on the issue will create a lot of confusion.
Petitioner Pooja Mahajan, running a designer showroom, through her counsel A Maitri urged the high court that the issue should be heard prior to December 8 on the ground that not only she but others are also being deprived of earning livelihood and their fundamental rights are being infringed.
To which the bench said, “If you feel urgency, you can come prior to the date fixed and request to prepone the date but first let the Supreme Court decide the transfer petition of the Centre.”
Mahajan in her plea also accused the government of taking a dual stand saying on one hand it was encouraging people to deposit old notes in bank accounts and on the other hand, it was threatening them of prosecution for depositing over Rs 2.5 lakh.
Besides Mahajan, another plea by Birender Sangwan was today filed seeking direction to the Centre to ensure that all the ATMs are dispensing cash and people do not suffer.
( Source – PTI )
