Police presence at banks today

A day after the announcement regarding currency notes of denomination Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 was made, various police stations across the city on Wednesday received complaints from people about chemists, railway stations and hospitals not accepting the notes despite the announcement that the notes will be allowed for use for essential services. The Mumbai Police also informed that the reopening of banks on Thursday will see adequate police presence outside banks as security for when people go to deposit the said currency notes, said commissioner of police D.D. Padsalgikar.

Police stations that The Asian Age contacted namely Azad Maidan, L.T. Marg, Dadar, Shivaji Park, Bandra and Khar said that people had approached them complaining about the same.

Three to four patients approached the Azad Maidan police from Bombay Hospital alleging that the hospital was refusing to accept Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and denying them discharge due to the same. “After they came to the police station, we sent an officer to check and found that there were many patients facing inconvenience. We then asked the hospital authorities to accept the money and have also posted an policeman to ensure no such incident occurs,” said a senior police inspector of Azad Maidan police station.

Commissioner of Police DD Padsalgikar said that they had started deploying police personnel outside ATMs. “We have asked our police men to patrol ATM’s and in fact we began the same on Tuesday night, after the announcement was made,” he said. He added that they would have adequate security for banks too when they reopened. “Our policeman will be posted outside banks and will be patrolling the same too since people will come to deposit cash,” he said.