New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to stay further sale of electoral bonds ahead of assembly elections.
A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde decided not to allow a stay on sale of the electoral bonds as sought in the application moved by the NGO, Association for Democratic Reforms.
The Centre had earlier told the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, that the bonds would be issued from April 1 to April 10.
The NGO had claimed that there is a serious apprehension that any further sale of electoral bonds before the upcoming assembly elections, including in West Bengal and Assam, would further increase illegal and illicit funding of political parties through shell companies.
Although the apex court bench had during the hearing certain queries questioning the sale of bonds to the government, and the matter is still undecided, the bench stopped short of granting the request for a stay of the sale process.
(With PTI inputs)