Delhi High Court Questions Plea on Electoral Bond Corruption Claims

The Delhi High Court dismissed a petition for a court-monitored probe into alleged corruption involving electoral bonds, citing insufficient material evidence. The plea by activist Sudip Narayan Tamankar accused the scheme of facilitating corporate-political quid pro quo. Previously scrapped by the Supreme Court, electoral bonds were criticized for lacking transparency.

The Delhi High Court has rejected a petition calling for an investigation into alleged corruption linked to electoral bonds, citing a lack of concrete evidence. Despite being based on media reports, the court deemed these accusations against political parties vague and unsubstantiated.

Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela scrutinized the petitioner's reliance on newspaper reports and questioned their reliability during the hearing. The petitioner, Sudip Narayan Tamankar, urged the court for a CBI probe into corporate-political quid pro quo arrangements under the electoral bond scheme, but the High Court remained unconvinced.

The scheme, which was invalidated by the Supreme Court earlier this year, was criticized for its opacity regarding political donations. It had been introduced by the government's efforts to bring transparency to political funding. Subsequent to the Supreme Court's ruling, the State Bank of India disclosed relevant data to the Election Commission, revealing donor information publicly.

(With inputs from agencies.)