The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday booked three employees of the Indian postal service in Hyderabad for exchanging Rs 36 lakh in demonetised currency without carrying out the requisite documentation. A first information report was filed against Sudheer Babu, the senior superintendent of post, G Revathi, a sub-postmaster, and G Ravi Teja, an office assistant.

The CBI believes they carried out the transaction for public servants as well as private individuals, though these have not been identified. Officials believe they took the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and illegally gave out new Rs 2,000 notes meant for public disbursal on November 12, IANS reported. While being interrogated by the CBI, Babu admitted to exchanging the notes without the filing paperwork, Deccan Chronicle reported, quoting an official who was not identified.

The CBI had conducted a surprise check at the post office on November 24 based on information that there were irregularities in the exchange documents there. The three employees have been booked for criminal conspiracy, criminal misconduct, criminal breach of trust by public servants, cheating and falsification of books of accounts.