Summary
To enable publication of electoral-bond records held in the Court’s sealed custody, the Court directed its Registry to scan and digitise the Election Commission’s submissions, return the originals and supply digital copies. The Commission was to publish them by 5 p.m. on 17 March 2024. Separately, the reported omission of bond alphanumeric numbers prompted notice to SBI and a direction for its responsible senior officer to attend the next hearing; the issue was not finally resolved in this order.
Issues
- How the Election Commission could publish records it had deposited without retaining copies.
- What procedural directions were needed concerning SBI’s reported omission of bond identifiers.
Held
- The earlier publication direction assumed that the Election Commission retained copies of records lodged in sealed custody. On learning that it had not, and with no opposition to the request, the Court directed return of the records after digitisation to enable compliance. (¶¶ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
- The Registrar (Judicial) was to arrange scanning and digitisation, preferably by 5 p.m. on 16 March 2024, then return the originals and provide scanned files to the Commission’s counsel. The Commission was directed to upload the records by 5 p.m. on 17 March 2024. These were the implementation dates fixed by this order. (¶ 5)
- After the reported omission of alphanumeric bond numbers was raised, the Court issued notice to SBI returnable on 18 March 2024 and required attendance of a senior officer responsible for maintaining purchase and redemption details. It did not finally adjudicate that disclosure issue in this order. (¶¶ 7, 8, 9, 10)
- The Commission’s miscellaneous application was disposed of with the digitisation, return and publication directions, while the SBI notice required further hearing. (¶¶ 5, 6, 9)
Result
Election Commission application disposed of with digitisation and return of records and publication by 17 March 2024 directed. Notice issued to SBI for 18 March 2024, with attendance of its responsible senior officer required.