SC to Hear on July 22, Plea for Court-Monitored Investigation Into the Electoral Bonds Scheme

The apex court has scheduled a hearing for July 22 on a plea seeking a court-monitored investigation into the electoral bonds scheme. Advocates representing NGOs Common Cause and Centre for PIL argue that there is potential corruption involving political parties and investigative agencies through the scheme, which they label as 'scam.'

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday said it will hear on July 22, a plea seeking a court-monitored investigation into the electoral bonds scheme.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan mentioned the matter before a bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud. Bhushan said the PIL of two NGOs, Common Cause and the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), is listed for hearing on Monday. The bench, also comprising justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said a similar plea, which was listed for Friday, will also be taken up together with the PIL on July 22.

The NGOs have claimed that there is an "apparent quid pro quo" between political parties, corporations, and investigative agencies and termed the electoral bonds scheme as a "scam". The Election Commission of India had released the data on the funding of the parties by electoral bonds.

The plea has sought a probe regarding the source of funding of "shell companies and loss-making companies”, which made donations to various political parties.

On February 15, a five-judge constitution bench led by CJI scrapped the electoral bonds scheme of anonymous political funding introduced by the BJP government.

The NGOs have claimed that large donations were made to the ruling party by several firms which were under investigation by central agencies.