The Supreme Court turned down the State Bank of India's (SBI) request for more time to disclose details of the electoral bonds scheme, the Supreme Court said the bank must share the details with the Election Commission of India by tomorrow. The poll body has been asked to publish the details on its website by 5 pm on Friday.

The Supreme Court today pressed the State Bank of India (SBI) for explanations regarding its delay in furnishing details of the now-defunct electoral bonds scheme. The SBI had requested an extension until June 30 to disclose the information, following the court's landmark decision on February 15 to scrap the scheme and direct the Election Commission of India to unveil donation details by March 13.

Opposing the SBI's plea for more time, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a petitioner against the electoral bonds scheme, alleged that the bank's last-minute application aimed to withhold information before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Senior Advocate Harish Salve, representing SBI, cited the bank's adherence to a standard operating procedure (SOP) to store electoral bond information separately from the core banking system. He highlighted the need for additional time to comply with the court's order due to the complexity of the process and confidentiality obligations.

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice Sanjiv Khanna pressed SBI to expedite the disclosure process. They questioned the bank's actions over the past 26 days since the verdict, emphasizing the expectation of transparency and diligence.

Salve explained the meticulous nature of the task, involving collating donor details and cross-referencing them with bond numbers, to prevent errors and maintain confidentiality. He expressed concerns about potential lawsuits from donors and emphasized the necessity of stringent measures to prevent leaks.

The Chief Justice expressed concern over a senior SBI official's affidavit seeking modifications to the court's judgment, emphasizing the seriousness of the matter. The court's February 15 ruling deemed the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional, citing violations of citizens' right to information.

Despite SBI's assertions regarding the time-consuming nature of the task, the Chief Justice directed the bank to comply with the judgment promptly, underscoring the need for accountability and transparency in the process.

The Supreme Court turned down the State Bank of India's (SBI) request for more time to disclose details of the electoral bonds scheme, the Supreme Court said the bank must share the details with the Election Commission of India by tomorrow. The poll body has been asked to publish the details on its website by 5 pm on Friday.

The Supreme Court today pressed the State Bank of India (SBI) for explanations regarding its delay in furnishing details of the now-defunct electoral bonds scheme. The SBI had requested an extension until June 30 to disclose the information, following the court's landmark decision on February 15 to scrap the scheme and direct the Election Commission of India to unveil donation details by March 13.

Opposing the SBI's plea for more time, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a petitioner against the electoral bonds scheme, alleged that the bank's last-minute application aimed to withhold information before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Senior Advocate Harish Salve, representing SBI, cited the bank's adherence to a standard operating procedure (SOP) to store electoral bond information separately from the core banking system. He highlighted the need for additional time to comply with the court's order due to the complexity of the process and confidentiality obligations.

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice Sanjiv Khanna pressed SBI to expedite the disclosure process. They questioned the bank's actions over the past 26 days since the verdict, emphasizing the expectation of transparency and diligence.

Salve explained the meticulous nature of the task, involving collating donor details and cross-referencing them with bond numbers, to prevent errors and maintain confidentiality. He expressed concerns about potential lawsuits from donors and emphasized the necessity of stringent measures to prevent leaks.

The Chief Justice expressed concern over a senior SBI official's affidavit seeking modifications to the court's judgment, emphasizing the seriousness of the matter. The court's February 15 ruling deemed the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional, citing violations of citizens' right to information.

Despite SBI's assertions regarding the time-consuming nature of the task, the Chief Justice directed the bank to comply with the judgment promptly, underscoring the need for accountability and transparency in the process.