A significant development has emerged in the electoral bond case, as per sources. In compliance with the court’s orders, the State Bank of India (SBI) has sent all data regarding electoral bonds to the Election Commission. In a statement issued by the SBI, it has been mentioned that they have provided all the required information to the Election Commission as per the court’s directives. Additionally, SBI has filed a compliance affidavit in the Supreme Court. According to SBI, a total of 22,217 bonds were purchased between 2019 and 2024, out of which 22,030 bonds have been redeemed.
In a submission made in the apex court, SBI stated that it provided details of electoral bond purchases to the Election Commission before the deadline on March 12. The submission includes specifics such as the date of purchase, purchaser’s name, and bond value for each electoral bond.
SBI’s chairman Dinesh Khara, stating that the bank had also provided details such as the redemption date, names of political parties receiving the funds, and bond values. The Constitution Bench chaired by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had earlier extended the deadline for providing this information, rejecting SBI’s plea and directing them to furnish the details to the Commission before the end of the working day on March 12.
As per the order, the Election Commission is mandated to publish the information shared by the bank on its official website by 5 p.m. on March 15. The High Court had delivered a historic verdict on February 15, declaring the government’s electoral bond scheme unconstitutional and ordering the Election Commission to disclose details of bond donors, the amount received as bonds, and the recipients by March 13.
