After the RBI’s 59th order on demonetisation allowing only one-time deposits of old notes till 30 December – and mandating that depositors be grilled by bank authorities if they have over Rs 5,000 – I decided to deposit Rs 20,000 in old notes in my account. Like several people, I had been holding out until the last moment to avoid the long queues.
Seventy-two hours after the notification, however, the government went back on the diktat after a public outcry, and said that depositors will not be questioned. But I was one of the unfortunate people who went to deposit their money before the decision was reversed.
Visiting a bank has always been an uneventful, boring affair – but this time it was distressing. The moment I told a bank employee that I had money to deposit, he stared at me as if I were a criminal. But the worst was yet to come.
Video: The Quint
Music: Big Bang Fuzz