Currency ban effect: Even thieves not interested in Rs 500, 1000 notes

Thieves and robbers have not been left immune from the crisis after demonetisation of high value currency notes, as evident from incidents in various parts of Maharashtra.

In two separate incidents in Nashik and Dhule districts of north Maharashtra, thieves and robbers did not even touch bundles of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 at the site of the crime.

In Ghoti in Nashik district, thieves took away cash in small denomination from the house of Dilip Rokde, a contract worker in the state electricity company.

“Thieves did not touch higher denomination currency. They took only notes of Rs 100, Rs 20 and Rs 10,” Rokde’s wife said about the incident that occurred two days ago.

The thieves, however, took away all the coins from the house, police said, adding they also stole two LPG cylinders.

At the house of Sham Patil in Devapur region of Dhule district, robbers broke open the lock handle of the door and fled with only small currency notes, without touching the high value ones, police said.

The incidents came in the backdrop of people thronging bank branches across the country to exchange the defunct high denomination Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes.