Electoral bonds: Supreme Court to hear appeal against additional 15-day sale period

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will review a fresh challenge to the notification amending the Electoral Bond Scheme, 2018, which allows states and union territories with legislatures to sell electoral bonds 15 additional days before general elections.
In the case filed by Congress leader Jaya Thakur, the Supreme Court will hear the case before a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud.
NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has already filed petitions challenging the scheme before a bench presided by Justice B R Gavai, and a hearing has been scheduled for December 6.
Earlier in March 2021, the top court dismissed a plea by an NGO seeking a stay on any new sale of electoral bonds before the assembly elections scheduled for that month.
ASC questioned the claims regarding the “complete anonymity” of the purchasers of the bonds and stated that the scheme is not protected by iron curtains that cannot be pierced.
After dismissing the request not to allow any new window for their sale pending the resolution of the main challenge to the Electoral Bond Scheme, the court noted that the bonds had already been issued in the past without any obstacles.
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