The Bench further requested that, by March 21, at 5 p.m., the SBI Chairman and Managing Director file an affidavit.......
Digital desk: The Supreme Court of India ordered the State Bank of India (SBI) on Monday to "disclose all details" to the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding electoral bonds that were bought or redeemed following its April 12, 2019, interim order, including their unique alphanumeric codes. The SBI was also instructed to file an affidavit on compliance by March 21, 5 pm.
"There is no manner of doubt that SBI is required to make a complete disclosure of all details in its possession," the five-judge Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, stated, expressing its displeasure over the bank's "selective disclosure" of details. To be clear, this would include the bonds' alphanumeric number and serial number, if applicable, that were bought and redeemed. The unique alphanumeric codes would enable matching the poll bond donors with the recipients.
The Bench further requested that, by March 21, at 5 p.m., the SBI Chairman and Managing Director file an affidavit "indicating that SBI has disclosed all details of the electoral bonds which were in its possession and custody and that no details have been withheld... to fully effectuate (its) order and to obviate any controversy in the future."
On April 12, 2019, the Bench, which consisted of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, B. R. Gavai, J. B. Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra, denied a request to require SBI to provide the unique codes of bonds that were bought or redeemed.
The court stated that the SBI was obligated under the operational directions to produce information regarding electoral bonds that have been purchased since the interim order, citing its previous orders. The Bench reviewed its previous statement, which stated that "such details...shall include the date of purchase of each electoral bond, the purchaser's name, and the denomination of the purchased electoral bond."
"SBI was required to disclose details of each electoral bond encashed by political parties, inclusive of the date of encashment and the denomination of the electoral bond," the court said. In conjunction with its ruling on February 15, 2024, to invalidate the electoral bond plan, the statement read, "This indicates that SBI was required to submit all details, both in terms of the purchase and terms of the receipt of contributions."
Additionally, the court ordered the EC to upload the SBI's details "forthwith."
The SBI was given notice by the court on March 15th, stating that the bank had a "duty-bound" obligation to provide the exclusive alphanumeric numbers.
The CJI stated after hearing the bank's statement on Monday: "We had specifically asked SBI to disclose all details." The ruling stated that all information must be made public. Consequently, that also applies to the bond numbers.
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