Denied exchange of old notes, woman strips near RBI’s Delhi office

Upset over not being able to exchange old notes, a woman allegedly stripped in front of a crowd outside Reserve Bank of India (RBI) building in New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon.

Upset over not being able to exchange old notes, a woman allegedly stripped in front of a crowd outside Reserve Bank of India (RBI) building in New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon.

Upset over not being able to exchange old notes, a woman allegedly stripped in front of a crowd outside Reserve Bank of India (RBI) building in New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon.

Police officials said the woman, a domestic help, came to the bank with a four-year-old child. She had been coming to the bank for the last two days, hoping to exchange R 4,000 old notes. But she allegedly stripped after the bank officials told her that the last date for exchanging old notes at bank counters was November 24, and so they cannot exchange her old notes now.

Police said that the woman had no identity card. The old notes that she was carrying were damaged and “chopped by rats”.

The incident was recorded by someone on mobile phone.

Police said after the woman was told that they the bank was no longer accepting R 1,000 and R 500 old notes, she started shouting. The local police was called in to calm her down.

In the video, two women constables are seen trying to take the woman inside a PCR van. But she is resisting, shouting and crying till the constables let her go. Later, before the public or police could stop her, she strips as a mark of protest. Bystanders were shocked as she stripped off her kurta. Her child was standing beside her.

“The woman stripped and demanded to meet RBI officials. She wanted to persuade them to exchange her old notes. She was covered up and taken to the bank officials. They informed her that her old notes cannot be exchanged anymore. Also, she had no identity card. The old notes she was carrying were soiled. It looked like rats had eaten them,” said a senior police officer.

The woman was let off. No case was registered, police said.