All electoral bond details handed to Election Commission: SBI to Supreme Court

It said that “the information disclosed includes” details of the purchaser like serial number, URN number, journal date, date of purchase, bond number, status, date of expiry, name of the purchaser, prefix, bond number, denomination, issue branch code, issue teller and status.

The information also includes details of redemption by political parties, including serial number, date of encashment, name of political party, last four digits of account number, prefix, bond number, denomination, pay branch code and pay teller.

It said that the “prefix and the bond number is in fact the alphanumeric number”.

The affidavit states that “the complete bank account numbers and KYC details of political parties are not being made public as it may compromise the security of the account (cyber security). Similarly, KYC details of purchasers are also not being made public for security reasons, apart from the fact that such information is not fed/collated in the system. However, they are not necessary for identifying the political parties”.

The affidavit added, “The SBI is now revealing information (along with that already disclosed) which will show: a) The name of the purchaser of the bond; b) The denomination and specific number of the bond; c) The name of the party that has encashed the bond; d) Last four digits of the bank account number of political parties; e) The denomination and number of the bond encashed.”

The bank said it “has now disclosed all details and that no details (other than complete account numbers and KYC details) have been withheld from disclosure in terms of the directions
contained in para 221 of the judgment dated 15.02.2024 read with order dated 18.03.2024” passed by the court.

The Supreme Court on Monday had pulled up SBI, directing the bank to “disclose all details” on electoral bonds purchased or redeemed after its April 12, 2019 interim order, including their unique alphanumeric codes, to the Election Commission of India (ECI), and to file an affidavit on compliance by March 21, 5 pm.

On March 15, the court had issued notice to the SBI, saying the bank was “duty-bound” to furnish the unique alphanumeric codes.