SC Directs SBI To Disclose Electoral Bonds' Numbers

After the Supreme Court took exception to State Bank of India (SBI) for not furnishing Electoral Bonds data with unique alphanumeric numbers, which help identify the bond, the Apex Court on Monday passed an order saying that the bank must disclose it forthwith.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan said that the SBI has said that they misunderstood the Court's earlier order.

"Today, the Supreme Court heard its notice to SBI, asking them. why they had not disclosed the alphanumeric number on each bond of the purchaser, as well as of the party which redeemed those bonds. But before the court could hear SBI, there were three applications filed by the three industry organisation--FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM, in which a prayer has been made that the bond numbers should not be disclosed so that the donor's details don't come out. However, the CJI told them that their application was not on record and they will not be heard," he said.

Further, he mentioned that bank chairman will have to submit an affidavit, saying that he has disclosed all the details related to bonds.

"The Court passed an order saying that they must disclose it forthwith and the chairman of SBI is to file an affidavit by 5 pm on March 21, saying that he has disclosed all the details, including the alphanumeric numbers, and that would have to be uploaded by the Election Commission forthwith, immediately," Advocate Prashant Bhushan said.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to SBI for not furnishing Electoral Bonds data with unique alphanumeric numbers.

A five-judge Constitution bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said that the SBI has not fully complied with its March 11 order in which it had ordered the bank to disclose all details concerning Electoral Bonds.

(ANI)