1997 Supreme(Raj) 109
Supreme Court
B.P. Jeevan REDDY & S.B. MAJUMDAR, JJ.
Harish Chander Singh - Appellant
Versus
S.N. Tripathi - Respondents
Civil Appeal No. 198 of 1976
Decided On : January 27, 1997
RLW 1997(2) SC 230
Headnote:Advocates Act, 1961–Sec. 38 read with O. 6 of Sureme Court Rules–This is a case of professional misconduct–The Disciplinary committee has rightly come to the conclusion that the complainant was duped by his advocate who misused the confidence reposed by his client–Complete record was gone through and the finding of fact was upheld–The sentence of suspension from practice for two years is not harsh. (Para 8)
Lalita Kohli and Pramod Swarup for the Appellant. Dr. Madan Sharma and R.D. Upadhyay for the Respondents.
(2). In order to appreciate the grievance of the appellant it is necessary to note a few introductory facts.
(3). One Daya Ram, the original complainant before the State Bar Council, filed a complaint against the appellant as well as aforesaid co-delinquent Syed Hussain Ahmad, both of whom at the relevant time were practicing advocates at Akbarpur in Ferozabad District of Uttar Pradesh. In the complaint it was alleged against the delinquents that he had engaged the appellant as his counsel in a case pending before Consolidation Officer, Akbarpur between the complainant and one Bisai. Subsequently he had engaged one Tarakant Tripathi as his counsel. According to the complainant the said case was fixed before the Consolidation Officer for 17th January, 1972 and thereafter it was adjourned to 7th February, 1972. The appe- llant who was engaged as his counsel is the resident of Village Jamnipur. The land in connection with consolidation proceedings were pending wherein the appellant was engaged by the complainant to represent him, was situated in the same village. The consolidation proceedings then were further adjourned to 21st February, 1972. In the meanwhile, in the evening of 17th January, 1972 the appellant asked him to appoint some Mukhtar so that he may be spared of the necessity of coming to attend the consolidation case every day. The complainant alleged that at the instance of the appellant Syed Hussain Ahmad, original Respondent no. 2, the junior of the appellant, was appointed as Mukhtar and a Mukhtarnama was got registered. That the contents of the Mukhtarnama were not read over to him but he proceeded on the word of the appellant and having faith in him, executed Mukhtarnama in favour of his junior. Thereafter, however, the appellant entertained suspicion and on 29th January, 1972 he executed the Dead cancelling the above said Mukhtarnama and got it registered. It thereafter transpired that the appellant had obtained a Sale Deed in respect of the property in question in favour of his father from Syed Hussain Ahmad, original Respondent no.2, who had acted as Mukhtar of the complainant and as such had purported to sell the said land on behalf of the complainant in favour of the appellants father. The complainant alleged that it was never his intention to authorise the appellants junior Syed Hussain Ahmad to execute any such Deed of Transfer in respect of the suit property much less in favour of appe- llants father. All that he intended to do