The nominee under Section 39 of the Insurance Act does not acquire a vested interest in the policy, and the policyholder retains disposing power over it.

( 1 ) THIS appeal raises a question relating to the interpretation of 5ection 39 of the Indian Insurance Act. The facts leading up to this may be briefly narrated : one Atcbutaramayya executed a promissory note in favour of the appellant on 4th December, 1950. On the foot of this document, a decree was obtained by the appellant on 28th November, 1952, against the 1st and 2nd respondents, i. e. , the widow and the son of the debtor who died some time during the pendency of the suit. In execution of the decree the appellant sought to attach a policy taken by Atchutaramayya on his own life in the United India Life Assurance Company. The widow raised an objection that she having been nominated under section 39 of the Insurance act was entitled to the proceeds thereof and the creditor of her husband has no right to proceed against it. This objection weighed with the Courts below and the execution petition was dismissed. Being aggrieved by this decision, the decree-holder has come up to this Court in second appeal.

( 2 ) THE contention urged by Mr. Choudhry in support of the appeal is that the life Insurance Policy remained an asset of Atchutaramayya in the hands of his legal representatives which can be proceeded against in execution of a decree obtained against his estate. The point involved in this appeal has to be answered with reference to the provisions of section 39 of the Insurance Act, the relevant portion of which is extracted below :-"39. (1) The holder of a policy of life insurance on his own life, may, when effecting the policy or at any time before the policy matures for payment, nominate the person or persons to whom the money secured by the policy shall be paid in the event of his death. (2) Any such nomination in order to be effectual shall, unless it is incorporated in the text of the policy itself, be made by an endorsement on the policy communicated to the insurer and registered by him in the records relating to the policy and any such nomination may at any time before the policy matures for payment be cancelled or changed by an endorsement or a further endorsement or a will, as the case may be but unless notice in writing of any such cancellation or change has been delivered to the insurer, the insurer shall not be liable for any payment under the policy made bonafide by him to a nominee mentioned in the text of the policy or registered in records of the insurer. (3) (4) A transfer or assignment of a policy made in accordance with section 38 shall automatically cancel a nomination : (5) Where the policy matures for payment during the life-time of the person whose life is insured or where the nominee, or, if there are more nominees than one, all the nominees die before the policy matures for payment, the amount secured by the policy shall be payable to the policy-holder or his heirs or legal representatives or the holder of a succession cerificate, as the case may be. (6) Where the nominee, or, if there are more nominees than one a nominee or nominees survive the person whose life is insured, the amount secured by the policy shall be payable to such survivor or survivors. (7) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any policy of life insurance to which section 6 of the Married Women s Property Act, 1874 (III of 1874) applies or has at any time applied. Provided that where a nomination made whether before or after the commencement of the Insurance (Amendment) Act, 1946, in favour of the wife of the person who has insured his Hie or his wife and children or any of them is expressed, whether or not on the face of the policy, as being made under this section, the said section 6 shall be deemed not to apply or not to have applied to the policy. "

( 3 ) A reading of the relevant provisions of the section can only lead to a conclusion that the holder of the policy continues to have interest in the policy notwithstanding the nomination effected in regard to the policy. It d. oes not divest him of the rights in t

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