SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

1998 Supreme(Ker) 263

Judges : S.MARIMUTHU
Chami Narayanan - Appellant
Versus
Krishna Iyer - Respondent
Case No : A.S.No. 377 of 1991
Decided On : 07/01/1998
Advocates Appeared :
V. Chitambaresh For Appellant N. Viswanatha Iyer For Respondents

The main legal point established in the judgment is the interpretation of the power of attorney, the authority of the power holder, and the applicability of limitation, along with the legal principles of agency by necessity and burden of proving death or absence under the Indian Evidence Act.

Headnote:

Impugning Judgment and Decree - Power of Attorney - Agency by Necessity - Impleadment of Supplemental Plaintiffs - Limitation - Challenge under S.105 CPC

Fact of the Case:

The suit was filed for recovery of a sum of Rs. 8,004/- borrowed by the appellant by executing a promissory note. The suit was originally dismissed, but after remand, the application to implead the wife and daughters of the plaintiff was allowed, and the suit was decreed. The appellant challenged the impleadment and the decree on various grounds including limitation and authority of the power of attorney holder.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the power of attorney was a specific power deed and that the power holder had acted within the authority conferred on him under the doctrine of 'agency by necessity'. The court also held that the impleadment of supplemental plaintiffs was legal and proper, and the suit was not barred by limitation.

Issues: The issues included the nature of the power of attorney, the authority of the power holder to file the suit, the legality of impleadment of supplemental plaintiffs, and the applicability of limitation.

Ratio Decidendi: The court relied on the provisions of the Indian Contract Act, the Supreme Court rulings, and the Indian Evidence Act to interpret the nature of the power of attorney, the authority of the power holder, and the applicability of limitation. The court also considered the legal principles of agency by necessity and the burden of proving death or absence under the Indian Evidence Act.

Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed, and the impleadment of supplemental plaintiffs was upheld. The court held that the suit was not barred by limitation and that the challenge under S.105 CPC was not valid.

Judgment :-

S. Marimuthu, J.

The appeal is directed impugning the judgment and decree passed by the learned Addl. Sub Judge, Palakkad in O.S. No. 238 of 1979. One Chami Narayanan -defendant is the appellant. One Krishna Iyer represented by his Power of Attorney holder Veeraraghava Iyer is the first plaintiff and supplemental plaintiffs 2 to 4 are the wife and daughters of Krishna Iyer, who are respondents 2 to 4 in this appeal.

2. The common grounds of both the appellant and the respondents are as follows: Suit was originally filed by Veeraraghava Iyer representing as Attorney of Krishna Iyer for recovery of a sum of Rs. 8,004/-borrowed by the appellant by executing Ext. Al promissory note dated 26.7.1976. Apart from the above common grounds of both the sides, it is the further contention of the respondents that prior to the execution of Ext. Al pronote, Krishna Iyer, executed Ext. A2 general power deed dated 5.5:1975. Krishna Iyer left his family in the year 1977 and his whereabouts were not known for more than 7 years. However, once he was seen by Veeraraghava Iyer, the Attorney. When the period of limitation for claiming the amount under the pronote was nearing, Veeraraghava Iyer in his capacity as donee of the power conferred on him, under Ext. A2 filed the suit before the expiry of the period of limitation. It is also the admitted grounds as culled out from the records that the suit was originally dismissed by the court below holding that the donee of the power, Veeraraghava Iyer, is not clothed with the right of laying a claim under the pronote. Aggrieved by the judgment of dismissal of the suit, an appeal was preferred before this Court as A.S. No. 422 of 1982. This Court remanded the matter to the Court below for fresh trial with a direction to render a finding on a validity of the power deed, Ext. A2, after framing an issue in that regard. After remand, an application was moved by the power holder, Veeraraghava Iyer, to implead the wife and daughters of Krishna Iyer as suppl. plaintiffs. That application, I A. 2948 of 1990. was allowed and the wife and children were brought on record as suppl plaintiffs 2 to 4. No civil revision was filed questioning the above order of impleadment of supp plaintiffs. The court below thereafter, assessing the evidence, decreed the suit on 21.12.1990. Mr. V. Chitambaresh, learned counsel for the appellant denying the above contentions of the respondents would contend that the power deed Ext. A2 would confer only a specific authority on the donee of the power, Veeraraghava Iyer, that it does not authorise Veeraraghava Iyer to lay the present claim under the suit pronote, that suppl. plaintiffs 2 to 4 were not brought on record in accordance with the rule of law, namely when they were brought on record, the claim itself was barred by limitation, that there is no necessity to challenge the order passed in the impleading application by way of a civil revision before this Court, that on the other hand, it is enough in questioning the said-order in this appeal as provided under S.105 CPC and that viewed from any angle, the judgment and decree rendered by the Court below cannot be sustained.

3. It is, on the other hand, the contention of Sri. N. Viswanatha Iyer, learned counsel for the respondents that a bare reading of Ext. A2 power deed would disclose that it is a general power deed which authorises the donee of the power to lay the present claim under the suit pronote. Even when a specific authority is not conferred on Veeraraghava Iyer in regard to the filing of the present suit under the pronote, on the moral duty cast upon him he can protect the interest of the donor of the power and also preserve the right of the donor over his property from being injured, on the doctrine of 'agency by necessity'. Thus on any angle when this matter is considered, the action of Veeraraghava Iyer in filing the suit under the pronote comes within the purview of the authority conferred on him under the power d






























Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Judicial Analysis

AI

SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top