Case: Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India
The Constitution Bench comprising CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, Justices Sanjiv Khanna, B.R. Gavai, J.B. Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra unanimously struck down the Electoral Bonds Scheme, 2018.
Key Reasoning
The right to information is a component of freedom of expression under Article 19(1)(a). Voters have a right to know who funds political parties, as this directly influences electoral choices. The scheme violated this right by allowing anonymous donations.
Order
SBI was directed to disclose all electoral bond details to the Election Commission within a specified timeframe. The EC was directed to publish the information.