The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) sucked out Rs 6.02 lakh crore from the banking system through variable-rate reverse repo (VRRR) auctions on Friday. It stepped up its liquidity absorption operations, as surplus funds hit a fresh record and overnight rates remained well below the policy rate. Banking-system liquidity stood at an all-time-high surplus of Rs 10.3 lakh crore as of Thursday, setting a record for the second straight day. The surplus has averaged Rs 7.05 lakh crore over the past week, nearly double the Rs 3.67 lakh crore average in August and more than six times the Rs 1.07 lakh crore recorded in July, RBI data showed.