The Supreme Court issued a stern rebuke to the State Bank of India (SBI) over the sharing of Electoral Bonds information for political donations. The court directed SBI to share comprehensive details, including unique bond numbers, with the Election Commission within the next three days. It also instructed the Commission to upload the information to its website without delay, making it accessible to the public.
The bank's lawyer, Harish Salve, said that they followed the court's order as they interpreted it and requested the time to orderly share information.
SBI Ordered to Fully Comply, Says CJI
Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud remarked, 'We had issued a notice to SBI in the previous hearing since we had asked for complete details in the order. However, SBI didn't provide bond numbers. SBI must fully comply with the order. Provide the Commission with all unique numbers, the alphanumeric details. We clarify this.'
Read next:
Salve further mentioned that there's no issue in sharing bond numbers. CJI questioned SBI's data storage format and the purpose behind using alphanumeric sequences—was it for security or something else?
Advocate General Tushar Mehta's Argument
The CJI inquired about the measures to verify that redeemed bonds are not fake. Mehta commented on the misinterpretation of the court's decision outside the courtroom, leading to a misleading social media narrative. He alleged a hidden agenda behind campaigns to embarrass judges.
CJI remarked, 'We had only given a decision based on the law and advised Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the SBI, not to argue at the moment as his assistance wasn't required then.'
Prashant Bhushan's Argument Rebuffed by CJI
Prashant Bhushan argued about the court's April 2019 direction to political parties to reveal bond donation details, which led the CJI to remind him that they were not sitting for a review petition but to adhere to the set cutoff date—April 12, 2019.
Request for Earlier Data Rejected
The Supreme Court rejected a plea for information prior to April 12, 2019. The CJI stated that seeking data beyond the stipulated date would amount to a review of their previous decisions, which isn't currently on the agenda. The court had decided that SBI must provide information by February 15, and CJI asked the SBI Chairman to share all information with the Commission by Thursday 5 PM, alongside submitting an affidavit. The EC should upload the data on its website as soon as it's received.
