The Supreme Court has rejected a review petition challenging its earlier decision not to confiscate ₹16,518 crore collected by political parties through the 2018 electoral bonds scheme. The review plea, filed by Khem Singh Bhati, was dismissed by a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices J. B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. The bench, in an order dated March 26, stated, “The review petition is dismissed in terms of the signed order. Pending application(s), if any, shall stand disposed of.”  

The court also declined Bhati’s request for an open-court hearing on the matter.  

Previously, on February 15, 2024, a five-judge Constitution Bench led by then-Chief Justice D. Y. Chandrachud struck down the electoral bonds scheme, calling it unconstitutional. The scheme, introduced by the BJP government and notified on January 2, 2018, aimed to offer a transparent alternative to cash donations in political funding.  

Following the verdict, the State Bank of India, the designated body handling electoral bonds, provided donor data to the Election Commission, which then released the information publicly.