Delhi High Court Scrutinizes Plea on Electoral Bond Donations

The Delhi High Court questions the validity of a plea for a CBI investigation into electoral bond donations to political parties. The plea alleges corruption and quid pro quo, urging transparency in electoral funding. The court deferred the matter for further submissions by October 2024.

The Delhi High Court has raised questions on the admissibility of a petition seeking a court-monitored CBI probe into alleged quid pro quo and corruption connected to donations via electoral bonds.

Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela have postponed the case to October 29, 2024. The court instructed the petitioner, Sudip Narayan Tamankar, represented by Advocate Pranav Sachdeva, to submit written arguments on the plea's legality and maintenance before the adjournment.

The plea contends that the electoral bond system creates an opaque funding mechanism, enabling illicit exchanges between corporations and political entities. It cites a Supreme Court order emphasizing available legal remedies for such concerns. The petition highlights the alleged manipulation of laws for corporate benefits and accuses political parties of masking quid pro quo arrangements as donations, which contravenes the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

(With inputs from agencies.)