NEW DELHI (TIP): The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Thursday, March 7, moved the Supreme Court with a contempt petition against the State Bank of India (SBI) for failing to disclose by March 6 details of electoral bonds encashed by political parties and instead seeking four months for it.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan mentioned the ADR’s plea before a Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud, which agreed to consider it after the petitioner completed the filing formalities. The matter was likely to be taken up on Monday.
Citing “certain practical difficulties”, the SBI had on Monday, March 4, moved the Supreme Court seeking time till June 30 to disclose details of each electoral bond issued and encashed. “The timeline of three weeks fixed by the court in its judgment dated February 15 would not be sufficient for the entire exercise to be completed,” the SBI said in an application filed in the top court. In a landmark verdict, a five-judge Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud had on February 15 declared unconstitutional the electoral bonds scheme that allowed individuals and companies to make unlimited anonymous donations to political parties. Acting on a PIL filed by ADR, the top court had ordered the SBI to stop issuing electoral bonds immediately and submit all details by March 6 to the Election Commission which shall make all donations public by March 13.