The State Bank of India (SBI) has adhered to the Supreme Court's directive by providing comprehensive details of electoral bonds, including unique identifiers, to the Election Commission. This move follows the court's March 18 ruling, which mandated SBI to disclose all pertinent information regarding the electoral bonds it holds.

The disclosed details now shed light on crucial aspects of electoral bonds, including the purchaser's identity, bond denomination, specific bond numbers, the recipient political party, and partial bank account numbers of the parties involved.

Earlier submissions by SBI delineated information regarding bond purchasers, transaction amounts, and funds received by political parties. However, the full bank account numbers and KYC details of the parties have not been divulged to ensure cyber security.

In its affidavit to the Supreme Court, SBI emphasized the necessity of safeguarding sensitive account information, thus opting to withhold complete account numbers and KYC details. Nonetheless, the disclosed details are deemed sufficient for identifying the political entities involved.

During court proceedings, the bank's chairman clarified that apart from KYC details and complete account numbers, there are no undisclosed particulars regarding electoral bonds. Each bond is uniquely identified by alphanumeric numbers, facilitating traceability to the respective recipient party.

However, the Supreme Court highlighted SBI's partial compliance with its March 11 order, emphasizing the importance of disclosing all electoral bond details, including unique identifiers.

Previously disclosed information unveiled Future Gaming and Hotel Services as a prominent purchaser of electoral bonds, owned by lottery mogul Santiago Martin.

While the majority of political parties provided a chronological breakdown of bond values they encashed, ten recognized parties, including AAP, DMK, AIADMK, and others, furnished donor names along with contributed amounts. Notably, the Samajwadi Party disclosed donations totaling 10.84 crore, citing receipt of 10 crore through anonymous postal bonds, and attributing the remaining sum to various donors.

In conclusion, SBI's compliance with the Supreme Court's order marks a significant step towards transparency in electoral financing. The disclosure of key details regarding electoral bonds serves to enhance accountability and promote integrity in the electoral process.