The SC had said the details must include the unique bond numbers that would match the buyers with the recipients.
Published Mar 21, 2024 | 6:36 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 21, 2024 | 6:36 PM
The Supreme Court of India. (iStock)
The State Bank of India (SBI) told the Supreme Court on Thursday, 21 March, that it has provided all details of the electoral bonds in its possession to the Election Commission (EC).
In a compliance affidavit filed in the apex court, the SBI chairman said the complete bank account numbers and KYC details of the political parties have not been made public “as it may compromise the security of the account (cyber security)”.
“Similarly, KYC details of purchasers are also not being made public for security reasons, apart from the fact that such information is not fed/collated in the system. However, they are not necessary for identifying the political parties,” the affidavit filed by bank chairperson Dinesh Kumar Khara said.
The affidavit said the SBI revealed information that would show the name of the purchaser of the bond, its denomination and specific number, the name of the party that encashed it, the last four digits of the bank account number of political parties that redeemed the bond and the denomination and the unique number of the bond encashed.
“On 21 March, 2024, the State Bank of India has provided/ disclosed all details of the electoral bonds which are in its possession and custody to the Election Commission of India,” it said.
“It is respectfully submitted that SBI has now disclosed all details and that no details (other than complete account numbers & KYC details) have been withheld from disclosure in terms of the directions contained in… the judgment dated 15 February, 2024 read with order dated 18 March, 2024 passed by this court,” the affidavit said.
On 18 March, the apex court told the SBI to stop being “selective” and make “complete disclosure” of all details related to the electoral bonds scheme by 21 March.
The top court had said the details to be disclosed must include the unique bond numbers that would match the buyers with the recipient political parties.
In a landmark verdict delivered on 15 February, a five-judge Constitution bench had scrapped the Union government’s controversial electoral bonds scheme that allowed anonymous political funding, calling it “unconstitutional”, and ordered disclosure by the EC of the donors, amount donated by them and the recipients by 13 March.
Ordering the closure of the scheme, the top court directed the SBI, the authorised financial institution under the scheme, to submit by 6 March the details of the electoral bonds purchased since 12 April, 2019 to date to the EC.
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