SC dismisses  plea of  SBI seeking time  for submitting details  of electoral  bond  

By  Our  legal  correspondent

New  Delhi, March 11 (IVC)    The  Supreme  Court  of India  here today  dismissed the plea  of the State  Bank of India (SBI)   seeking  time  till the end of June 2024  to share   details of electoral bonda.

                The five judge Bench  of the Supreme  headed by  the Chief  Justice  D Y Chandrachud on Feb 15  striking it  unconstitutional  the electoral  bond scheme   directed  the  SBI immediately  stop  issuing further electoral  bonds, furnish  by  March  06 details of the political  parties  which purchased bonds  ,date of  purchase  and the denominations.

                SBI  filed  a petition before the Honourable Supreme Court on March 04   seeking  time   for submitting the details  till the  end of June next  which  was rejected  by  the Bench  consisted of  the  justices   Sanjiv  Khanna, B R Gavai,  J B Pardiwala and Manoj  Misra    besides chief Justice.

                The same bench of the Supreme  Court  had struck down  the electoral bonds scheme on Feb 15  as unconstitutional.

                The  Supreme  Court  directed  SBI   to submit the details   as per the court’s order  of  Feb 15 tomorrow. If failed, the  court  would go  ahead with  the contempt  of court  proceedings against the State Bank  of India.  The  Supreme  Court  also directed the Election Commission of  India to  publish  the details   on Feb 15. The opposition parties  welcomed the order of the court  and observed that  it  has upset the hidden agenda of the Union Government  to  keep  secret the details of  electoral  bonds  till  the  elections to the  18^th  Lok  Sabha  were AAAaa completed.