SBI Files Compliance Affidavit in SC, Says Has Furnished All Details of Electoral Bonds to EC

SBI filed a compliance affidavit in Supreme Court on Thursday, affirming that it has furnished all details of electoral bonds to the Election Commission.

New Delhi: The State Bank of India Thursday filed a compliance affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that the bank has provided all the details in relation with the electoral bonds, including the alphanumeric number, to the Election Commission of India.

The affidavit filed by Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman SBI, said the bank is now revealing information which will show: the name of the purchaser of the bond, the denomination and specific number of the bond, the name of the party that has encashed the bond, last four digits of the bank account number of political parties, and the denomination and number of the bond encashed.

“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 para 221 of the judgment dated February 15, 2024 read with order dated March 18, 2024, passed by this court”, said the affidavit.

The bank said the complete bank account numbers and KYC details of the political parties are not being 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”, said the affidavit.

The SBI said today it has provided/ disclosed all details of the electoral bonds which are in its possession and custody to the Election Commission of India.

On March 18, the apex court directed the SBI to make a complete disclosure of all details of the electoral bonds which are in its possession and custody, in terms of the directions contained in the judgment delivered on February 15.

The apex court had said that after the receipt of bond numbers, the Election Commission of India shall put out the details on its website forthwith. The apex court said that there is no manner of doubt that SBI was required to disclose all details regarding the electoral bonds and it cleared that, the information in relation with bonds, will include the alphanumeric number and the serial number, if any, of the bonds, which were redeemed.

The apex court had earlier pulled up the SBI for not disclosing electoral bond numbers and thereby not fully complying with its previous judgment. It had categorically stated that electoral bond numbers, which link donors to recipients, "has to be disclosed".

February 15, the top court, in a landmark verdict, had scrapped the Centre's electoral bonds scheme that allowed anonymous political funding, calling it "unconstitutional" and ordered disclosure by the Election Commission of donors, the amount donated by them and the recipients by March 13.

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