'No selective information, submit complete details' - SC orders SBI on big electoral bonds

Electoral Bonds Case: The issue of electoral bonds is also being heard in the Supreme Court on Monday. The Supreme Court has clearly told the State Bank not to release details of electoral bonds selectively but to disclose all the information. The Supreme Court has said that SBI should disclose all possible information on electoral bonds, including the bond number.

Don't be selective in disclosing

Hearing the electoral bond case, the Supreme Court said that SBI was asked to disclose all the details and this included the number of electoral bonds. Supreme Court says SBI should not be selective in disclosing details. The Supreme Court says that they want all the information related to electoral bonds held by SBI to be made public. The Supreme Court says that the Election Commission will immediately upload the details on its website after receiving the information from SBI.

Disclose all details

The Supreme Court has directed SBI to disclose all details of the electoral bonds in its possession, including the unique alphanumeric number and serial number, if any, of the encashed bonds. The Supreme Court directed the SBI Chairman to file an affidavit by 5 pm on Thursday stating that SBI has disclosed all the details of the electoral bonds that were in its possession and custody and no details have been concealed.

We work according to the Constitution- CJI

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has asked the Supreme Court to consider issuing some instructions in this regard. On this, CJI DY Chandrachud said that as judges, we are only on the rule of law and work as per the Constitution. Our court is only there to work for the rule of law in this politics. As judges, we get discussed on social media but our shoulders are strong enough for that. We are only implementing our instructions of the judgement. Along with this, the Supreme Court rejected a plea seeking direction to SBI to disclose electoral bonds purchased and encashed before April 12, 2019.

Salve's arguments and court order

Harish Salve appeared on behalf of State Bank in this case. He mentioned the interim order of the year 2019 and told how the State Bank has understood this decision. Harish Salve explained the way he understood the April 2019 order of the Supreme Court.

Salve said that since the bonds were physically kept at different places, bond numbers were not given and we have no problem in giving them. On this, the CJI said that after the interim order, our final order (February 15) has come and we had asked to make all the information public, you cannot share selective information.

The hearing in the court was very bitter

Today's hearing started in a very tense atmosphere. Mukul Rohatgi, appearing on behalf of FICCI and ASSOCHAM, said that please postpone the issue of giving alpha number. On this, the CJI told Rohatgi that you should first file an application and then you will be heard.

Mukul Rohatgi kept trying but the court did not allow him to present his views. The Supreme Court made it clear that the cut-off date of 12 April 2019 has been kept because it was known to everyone that this matter is now in the cognizance of the Supreme Court.