Villagers protest note crunch

A man shows old Rs 500 notes outside the RBI in Mumbai. File picture

TT, Ahmedabad, Jan. 7 (PTI): Villagers protesting against non-availability of cash threw stones at a bank branch, locked up another bank branch and briefly blocked a state highway in three separate incidents in Gujarat today, police said.

At Khimana village in Banaskantha district, angry account holders threw stones at a branch of Dena Bank alleging that it refused to dispense cash. The police resorted to lathicharge to control the crowd.

"At least two police officers received minor injuries," Banaskantha deputy superintendent of police Umesh Patel said. No FIR has been lodged.

In another incident, account holders locked up the Bank of India branch at Modhwada village in Porbandar district after complaining that the bank had refused to give them cash after they stood in queue for hours.

Account holders from Dhrol town and neighbouring villages in Jamnagar district blocked a state highway alleging that banks in their area.