A significant plea has been lodged before the Supreme Court of India, advocating for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the controversial electoral bonds scheme, which was recently invalidated by the apex court. Filed jointly by Common Cause and the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, the petition seeks to uncover alleged conspiracies and scams associated with the scheme.
According to the petition, the electoral bonds system facilitated anonymous donations to political parties, raising concerns about potential quid pro quo arrangements between corporations and political entities. The plea highlights several alarming observations:
Allegations of quid pro quo arrangements between corporate donors and political parties for securing contracts, approvals, and regulatory relaxations.
Influence of political donations on contracts worth significant sums, potentially compromising regulatory oversight and public safety.
Violations of the Companies Act, with newly incorporated companies making contributions to political parties contrary to legal provisions.
Concerns about investigative agencies potentially becoming complicit in corruption, as firms under investigation have allegedly made substantial donations to ruling parties.
The petitioners contend that these issues underscore the electoral bonds scheme as possibly "the largest scam in India so far." They emphasize the scheme's distinctive money trail, contrasting it with past cases like the 2G and coal scams, where court-monitored probes were ordered despite the absence of such trails.
Seeking a thorough investigation, the petition urges the Supreme Court to constitute an SIT comprising impartial officers, supervised by a retired judge of the apex court. The plea underscores the complexity of the investigation, requiring scrutiny of corporate, governmental, and political actors, as well as relevant investigative agencies.
"The investigation in this case...would involve officers of the company, officials of the government and functionaries of political parties but also the officers concerned of agencies like the ED/IT and CBI, etc., who appear to have become part of this conspiracy," the plea states.
The petition, represented by advocates Prashant Bhushan, Neha Rathi, and Kajal Giri, signals a significant legal effort to address alleged malpractices associated with political funding, highlighting the critical role of judicial oversight in ensuring transparency and accountability in India's electoral processes.
Author: Anushka Taraniya
News writer, MIT ADT University
