'22,217 electoral bonds purchased': SBI chairman files compliance affidavit in Supreme Court

 Top court had taken exception to earlier affidavit filed by assistant general manager-rank officer and directed SBI chairman to file affidavit

Arun Goel: File picture

R. Balaji, TT, New Delhi, 14.03.24 :  State Bank of India chairman Dinesh Kumar Khara on Wednesday filed a personal compliance affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that the bank had disclosed details of electoral bonds to the poll commission before the close of business hours on March 12 in keeping with the apex court’s ultimatum.

The top court had taken exception to an earlier affidavit filed by an assistant general manager-rank officer and directed the SBI chairman to file an affidavit.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s February 15 directive, Khara stated in his affidavit: “The State Bank of India has ready records in which the date of purchase, denomination and name of buyer were recorded, and (in relation to the political parties) the date of encashment and the denominations of the bonds encashed were recorded. In respectful compliance with the aforesaid directions, before the close of business hours on 12.03.2024 a record of this information was made available to the Election Commission of India (ECI) by hand delivering in digital form (password protected)…”

“The aforesaid data has been furnished in respect of bonds purchased and redeemed between 12.04.2019 to 15.02.2024. A total number of 22,217 bonds were purchased during the period 01.04.2019 till 15.02.2024,” the affidavit added.

The SBI chairman referred to the following two directives of the five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud while filing the compliance affidavit:

• The SBI shall submit details of the electoral bonds purchased since the interim order of this court dated April 12, 2019, till date to the ECI. The details shall include the date of purchase of each electoral bond, the name of the purchaser of the bond and the denomination of the electoral bond purchased.

• The SBI shall submit the details of political parties which have received contributions through electoral bonds since the interim order of this Court dated April 12, 2019, till date to the ECI. The SBI must disclose details of each electoral bond encashed by political parties which shall include the date of encashment and the denomination of the electoral bond.

On March 11, the apex court had dismissed the SBI’s plea seeking an extension of time till June 30 and ordered it to disclose the details of electoral bonds by close of business hours on March 12.