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On March 11, the Supreme Court rapped State Bank of India (SBI) for failing to comply with its direction. The bank was directed to share the names of those who donated through electoral bonds with the Election Commission of India (ECI) by the specified deadline of March 6. However, the national bank sought an extension till June 30.
Rejecting SBI’s plea for extension, the top court ordered that the bank must provide these details by the end of March 12. Additionally, it directed the ECI to make this information public on its website by 5 pm on March 15.
During the proceedings, a Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud and comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra questioned the inaction of SBI in the last 26 days.
“What steps have you taken in the last 26 days? “Your application is silent on that,” a five-judge constitution bench of the top court asked SBI.
The bench emphasized the simplicity of the court order, under which SBI was only required to open the sealed envelopes containing the bond details, organize the information and submit it to the ECI.
“All SBI has to do is open the sealed cover, collect the details and provide the information to the Election Commission,” the bench said.
The issue arose from SBI’s request for more time to disclose the identity of donors contributing to political parties through electoral bonds.
Also, the court also considered a separate petition seeking to hold SBI in contempt for not complying with its earlier order.
Electoral Bonds: A Timeline
On 15 February, a bench of five judges decided that the government’s plan for electoral bonds was not permitted by law. It was ordered that the information about who gave how much money and who received it should be shared by March 13.
State Bank of India (SBI), which handles these bonds, was asked to provide information on bonds purchased since April 12, 2019, to the Election Commission by March 6. This information was to be made public on the website of the Election Commission. 13 March.
But, on March 4, SBI asked the Supreme Court if they could wait till June 30 to share this information as it takes a lot of work to collect and verify the data.
Two NGOs, Association for Democratic Reforms and Common Cause, asked the court to take action against SBI for not complying with court orders. The organizations believe that SBI is trying to keep the identity of the donor secret as political parties are ahead of the next big election, the Lok Sabha elections 2024. He argues that it is important for voters to know where the money comes from and who supports political parties. This openness helps voters make better choices and is an important part of democracy.
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Published: March 11, 2024, 12:46 pm IST
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