Shillong, March 11: The State Bank of India (SBI) is under Supreme Court scrutiny on March 11 as it seeks an extension, until June 30, for revealing details of electoral bond donors to the Election Commission of India (EC).
As per India Today, chaired by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra, a five-judge bench will hear SBI’s plea. Simultaneously, the court will address a contempt petition from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) against SBI, accusing the bank of intentional non-compliance with the court’s order and missing the March 6 deadline.
Earlier, on February 15, the Supreme Court declared the electoral bond scheme unconstitutional, instructing SBI to submit details of all bond purchases since April 12, 2019, to the EC by March 6.
The court mandated the EC to publish this information on its website by March 13. SBI, citing the time-consuming nature of the process due to donor anonymity protocols, sought an extension on March 4. ADR labeled SBI’s request as “mala fide” in its contempt petition, alleging a deliberate delay to shield donor identities ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
