Thrissur: When Pandiyottil Ayyappan Ezhuthachan from Natyanchira in Chelakkara found it difficult to meet his household expenses, he made the tough decision to sell the trees on his property, only to be tricked by unscrupulous buyers.

He received an advance payment of Rs. 5,000 from the buyers. After the trees were cut down and the wood was loaded in the truck, the timber merchant handed him the remaining Rs. 20,000.

However, when the 84-year-old man tried to use the money at a shop, he discovered that the bundle consisted of Rs. 2000 currency notes, which were no longer accepted anywhere. Standing helpless and in tears, the elderly man was comforted by the shop vendors. They informed him that the banned notes could be exchanged at post offices and took him to the Chelakkara post office.

Seeing his plight, the post office employees insured the notes and sent them to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). They also pooled their resources to cover the insurance cost of Rs. 1,730 and gave him additional money to cover his return travel expenses.

How to exchange Rs. 2000 notes
The RBI has permitted the exchange of Rs. 2000 notes only through post offices. To exchange the notes, one should furnish details of their bank account along with copies of their PAN and Aadhaar cards. The notes thus received will be dispatched to the regional office of the RBI. The insurance cost per note is Rs. 173.