After considerable reluctance, India's largest bank, SBI, has handed over all information related to electoral bonds to the Election Commission. Additionally, they have filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that they no longer possess any information regarding electoral bonds. This affidavit includes details of alphanumeric numbers as well. All this information is now with the Election Commission.
The Supreme Court heard the electoral bond case for the final time on March 18. On that day, Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had strongly reprimanded SBI and directed them to share all information related to electoral bonds by 5 PM on March 21. This includes details of the bonds along with the secretly recorded alphanumeric numbers. On Thursday, SBI submitted a compliance report on this order.
What's Included in the Submitted Affidavit? In the affidavit filed by SBI in this matter, the bank's chairman Dinesh Kumar Khara stated that in accordance with the Supreme Court's order on March 18, they have compiled details such as the list of bond buyers, bond numbers, etc. The names of the parties who purchased them and the value of each bond, which amounts to 10,000, have been compiled. This information has been handed over to the Election Commission. It will need to be posted on their website. After this, information related to electoral bonds will become public, and the situation regarding which party received contributions through electoral bonds, when, how, and from whom, will become clear to the public.