Shruti Suman
Rejecting the State Bank of India’s (SBI) plea for additional time to disclose particulars regarding the electoral bonds scheme, the Supreme Court today mandated the bank to furnish the details to the Election Commission of India (ECI) by tomorrow. The court instructed the poll body to make the information available on its website by 5 pm on Friday. It warned of contempt proceedings against the government-owned bank should it fail to comply by the stipulated deadline.
During the hearing of SBI’s plea for an extension to furnish details of the now-defunct scheme, the Supreme Court posed rigorous inquiries, questioning the actions taken by the bank over the past 26 days. SBI had petitioned the court for an extension to disclose the details by June 30.
The Chief Justice remarked on the time-consuming nature of cross-referencing data, indicating that such a process was not mandated by the court. He emphasized the necessity for SBI to adhere to the court’s directives without delay.
Counsel for SBI, Mr. Salve, expressed that the task would require an additional three months, citing the risk of potential lawsuits from donors should any errors occur. However, the Chief Justice highlighted the seriousness of the matter, noting an affidavit filed by a senior SBI official seeking modifications to the Constitution bench’s judgment.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the ADR, welcomed the court’s directives, emphasizing that SBI’s claims of needing time for cross-matching were unfounded. He reiterated the court’s instructions for SBI to promptly provide the required details to the Election Commission, noting the possibility of contempt action should SBI fail to comply.
The Supreme Court had previously deemed the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional in its February 15 judgment, citing violations of citizens’ right to information.
