SBI 'duty bound' to disclose electoral bond number: Supreme Court

SBI shared the data with the EC on March 12, following a Supreme Court directive, which allowed the EC until 5 PM on March 15 to upload the information on its website

The Supreme Court on Friday said State Bank of India (SBI) had to reveal the numbers on electoral bonds in addition to the disclosed details regarding their purchase and redemption.

A notice has been issued to the bank. The case will likely be heard again on Monday.

“Who is appearing for the State Bank of India? They have not disclosed the bond numbers. It has to be disclosed by the State Bank of India,” Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud said. 

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said: “I am not appearing for the State Bank of India. But Your Lordships may issue notice to the SBI since they may have something to say. I feel that they need to be here.”

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Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal interjected, saying the court’s ruling on March 11 said all relevant details had to be furnished.

“Really speaking, we can take exception to what the SBI has disclosed,” the CJI said. He disapproved of the bank’s counsel not being present.

The Bench, comprising the CJI, was hearing the application filed by the Election Commission of India, which sought the return of sealed-cover documents it gave the court in compliance with its interim order.

The EC told the court it did not retain any copies of these documents for the sake of confidentiality. It said it needed the envelopes to comply with the court’s order. 

The Bench disposed of the EC’s application and instructed the registrar general to ensure that the data filed by the commission was scanned and digitised by 5 pm on March 16 (Saturday).

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Once this is done, the original copy has to be returned to the EC and a copy of the scanned and digitised files will also be made available to it. This data is then to be uploaded on the Election Commission’s website.

SBI shared the data with the EC on March 12 after a Supreme Court directive, which gave the commission time till 5 pm on March 15 to upload the information on its website.

The EC posted the details on “Disclosure of Electoral Bonds submitted by SBI” in two parts -- the details of the purchasers of the bonds and the details of the political parties that encashed them. The details pertain to the period April 12, 2019, to January 11, 2024.

The EC on Thursday had sought the release of documents submitted by it before the top court in sealed covers.

The court on Monday had asked the EC to publish the details of the information on the commission’s website.

The interim order issued in November last year had asked the EC to furnish details of the funds received by all the political parties through electoral bonds till September 30 in a sealed cover.

“Whatever the Election Commission of India has placed before us, we’ll open it. In pursuance of an interim order, the Election Commission had furnished details. The registry has placed it in secured custody. We will direct them to open it right now,” CJI Chandrachud had said during the hearing on Monday.