Currency claims more lives

HT, 18 Nov 2016, Kolkata: A 56-year-old bank manager in Haryana died of a heart attack after spending three days serving hundreds of customers following the government’s shock withdrawal of high-value currency notes of `500 and `1,000.

Police said that Rajesh Kumar, manager of Rohtak’s Cooperative Bank, was found dead in his chamber on Wednesday morning after spending three nights in the office because of the increased work-load.

Banks across India have struggled since `500 and `1,000 notes were recalled last week as millions have poured in to exchange or deposit old currency.

Banks have been asked to open early or close late to accommodate the large crowds, adding to the woes of the bank staff.

“Due to the increased workload, Kumar had been sleeping in his office from the last three days. His family said that he was on medication for heart disease,” said Neeraj Kumar, Shivaji colony police station in-charge.

Work at the bank has been suspended.

When a security guard reached the bank on Wednesday morning, he knocked at the manager’s office door but got no reply. He alerted other bank employees and called in the police, who broke the door to find Kumar dead.

The police said that Kumar belonged to Gurgaon and is survived by his wife and two children.

BRIDE-TO-BE’S FATHER DIES OF CARDIAC ARREST Unable to make arrangements for his daughter’s wedding due to the cash crunch arising from demonetisation, a 50-year-old man reportedly died after suffering cardiac arrest here on Monday night.

Victim Sukhdev Singh’s daughter was to get married on November 18. When he went to the market to buy grocery items and jewellery on Monday, shopkeepers refused to accept the old banknotes, said Darshan Singh, sarpanch of his village, Kalla.

“My husband was very worried when he returned from the market. At night, he complained of chest pain and died of cardiac arrest,” said Sukhdev’s wife, Surjit Kaur.