SHIMLA: As the deadline for the exchange of old currency notes of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 denominations is drawing closer, there is fear of such notes lying in police malkhanas and subordinate courts of Himachal Pradesh turning into waste. To ensure such notes are exchanged well in time, state high court has directed all the subordinate courts and director general of police (DGP) to get case properties in the shape of old currency notes exchanged.
 
SP (vigilance) Mohit Chawla had moved an application before high court to hand over case property (currency notes worth Rs 19,42,500) to separate the old currency notes of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 denominations and to get them exchanged with valid currency notes. It was submitted that if permission is not granted, then Rs 1000 and Rs 500 old notes would be wasted after December 30.
 
While allowing the application, justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary had recently directed Solan district magistrate, district treasury officer and SP Mohit Chawla to take out the box in which currency notes are lying sealed and to carry it to the court of special judge, Solan, where it would be opened in the presence of all above officials.
 
The court also directed to make the inventory of old currency notes and to photograph them before getting them exchanged either with new currency notes or by the way of fixed deposits. The court said that old currency notes in the denominations of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 may have been kept in the police malkhanas and subordinate courts of state that may go waste after date prescribed for exchange.
 
So, the court directed the registrar general of high court to circulate a copy of order to all subordinate courts while advocate general was directed to provide the copy to DGP to get the case property of currency notes exchanged.