Why withhold info that links electoral bond donor, beneficiary: SC to SBI
State Bank of India (SBI) why it had withheld the unique numbers associated with electoral bonds purchased and encashed since April 12, 2019, ordering it to respond on March 18. The alpha-numeric ID can be used to connect the purchaser of an electoral bond with the political party that encashed it.
When the SC scrapped the bonds in mid-February on the grounds that they were unconstitutional, it had asked SBI to provide full details of the funding instrument to the Election Commission of India (ECI), which was to then post this publicly. SBI was the sole issuer of electoral bonds.
“We can take exception” to the non-disclosure of the bond numbers by SBI, a five-member bench headed by chief justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud said Friday. The ECI published the information provided by SBI on Thursday. This related to entities that had purchased electoral bonds during the period in question but didn’t include the unique number. The data shows the entities that have bought bonds, including how much, and the parties that have received money, including the quantity.
The data now available doesn’t show who gave what to whom, which the unique number would have revealed.
The bench has asked SBI to respond by Monday, March 18, the day the matter will come up for hearing again. “The judgment of the constitution bench clarified that all details of electoral bonds will be made available including date of purchase, name of purchaser, the denomination. It has been submitted that SBI has not disclosed the electoral bond
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