SC Issues Notice to SBI for Not Furnishing Unique Numbers of Electoral Bonds

The apex court had fixed Monday for a further hearing regarding why the bank did not furnish unique numbers on the electoral bonds to the Election Commission of India despite the court's direction to disclose all details relating to the bonds, writes ETV Bharat's Sumit Saxena.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to SBI after noting that the bank has not furnished unique numbers on electoral bonds and emphasised that its judgment was clear that all electoral bond details were to be submitted by the bank to the Election Commission by March 12.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan submitted before a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud that SBI has given details without unique numbers on the electoral bonds. The apex court had scheduled the matter for further hearing on Monday regarding why the bank did not furnish unique numbers on the electoral bonds to the Election Commission of India when the court had passed a direction regarding the disclosure of all details relating to the bonds.

The apex court took exception to SBI not furnishing electoral bond data with unique numbers. The apex court also allowed the ECI's plea seeking a direction to return the documents in original & also in digital format to enable it to upload additional data on electoral bonds on its website.

The bench, also comprising justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said, “We can take exception to what they have not disclosed. Our direction was clear... We directed disclosure of entire details”.

The bench said the SBI has not disclosed the bond number, and “they have to disclose the number too”.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that the court may seek a response from the bank on the issue. The bench reiterated that its judgment said ‘all details’ have to be furnished, and added, “really speaking, we can take exception.”

Mehta replied that since he is appearing for Centre and SBI is not a formal party before the court, in the present proceedings, the bank should be put to notice before issuing any fresh order.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal and advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing some of the petitioners, submitted that the bank was in breach of the judgment. The counsel stressed that the judgment made it clear that all details available with SBI regarding the bonds purchased and redeemed since April 2019 must be supplied to the ECI.

Bhushan said that the SBI’s application for an extension of time regarding sharing the data with ECI had recorded that they have the information on the alphanumeric serial numbers of the bonds.

The apex court also allowed the ECI request. The apex court directed the court’s registrar to ensure the documents submitted by ECI are scanned and digitised by 5 pm on Saturday.

The original documents as well as a copy of the digitised data will be supplied to ECI’s counsel to enable it to publish this date within two days.

Under the 2018 electoral bond scheme, which was quashed by the apex court on February 15, each electoral bond is imprinted with a unique serial number that can assist in tracking the issuance and redemption of bonds. This information will aid in tracing the bond back to the purchaser.

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