November 24 2016
The engineer was in the middle of his evening meditation session when a colleague called and told him to turn on the television. The prime minister was saying most of India’s cash would hold no value by morning.
The objective was to rid the country of illegal “black money” for which taxes had not been paid. Money often associated with illegal activity such as bribery. Money like the 4.8 million rupees ($70,000) stashed in a steel trunk, under a makeshift settee, in the engineer’s bedroom.
“For first few minutes I could not understand,” the engineer said, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of prosecution.