In an interview, a businessman in a cash-heavy sector told The Quint he had received prior warning of the impending demonetisation from a source in the government. “Then I got the photo of the 2,000 rupee note, and knew what was coming,” he said, adding that he had sufficient time to convert most of his money into smaller denominations.

Yet many interviewed by The Quint said that those following the market didn’t need high-powered leaks. Much of the information on demonetisation was hiding in plain sight – in the newspapers.

In January this year, The Hindu reported that 100 million defective 1,000 rupee notes had been introduced into the market by accident, prompting concerns at the RBI. Soon after, the Financial Express reported that the RBI had begun work on a new series of Rs 1,000 notes with enhanced security features.

Through the year, there were separate reports on the introduction of new 1,000 rupee notes, as well as new 2,000 rupee notes. On 21 October, about a fortnight before PM Modi’s address, the Business Line reported that the RBI had finished printing the first batch of Rs 2,000 notes at their press in Mysuru and were preparing for dispatch.

The same report carried the following prescient sentence: