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1963 Supreme(All) 119

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
S. S. Dhavan and K. B. Asthana, JJ.
LOON KARAN SETHIYA - Appellant
Versus
IVAN E.JOHN - Respondents
Ex. First Appeal 26 Of 1961
Decided On : 07/10/1963

Advocates Appeared:
A.K.KIRTY, S.D.Agarwala, SHANTI BHUSHAN

An agency in which the agent has an interest in the property which is the subject-matter of the agency, cannot, in the absence of an agreement, be terminated to the prejudice of the agent's interest.

Headnote:

CONTRACT - AGENCY - POWER OF ATTORNEY - IRREVOCABILITY - AGENCY COUPLED WITH INTEREST - SECTION 202 OF THE CONTRACT ACT - DECREE-HOLDER EXECUTING POWER OF ATTORNEY IN FAVOUR OF BANK TO EXECUTE DECREE AND CREDIT REALISATIONS TO HIS LOAN ACCOUNT - HELD, AGENCY IRREVOCABLE AS BANK HAD INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF THE AGENCY.

Fact of the Case:

The appellant, Loon karan Sethiya, obtained a decree for about Rs. 15 lacs against Ivan E. John and certain other persons. However, Sethiya was heavily indebted to the State Bank of jaipur, Agra Branch (the principal respondent in this appeal), and the Bank pressed him to pay back the loan. Sethiya executed a power of attorney in favor of the Bank authorizing it to execute his decree against Ivan E. John and to credit the amount realized to his account. The Bank applied for execution of the decree. Sethiya filed an application alleging that the Bank had colluded with the judgment-debtor and therefore he had canceled the power of attorney in the Bank's favor. The application was dismissed for non-compliance with the Court's order. Sethiya filed a second application on the same ground, which was also dismissed.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the power of attorney in favor of the Bank was irrevocable as the Bank had an interest in the subject-matter of the agency. The court relied on Section 202 of the Contract Act, which provides that an agency in which the agent has an interest in the property which is the subject-matter of the agency, cannot, in the absence of an agreement, be terminated to the prejudice of the agent's interest.

Issues: Whether the power of attorney executed by Sethiya in favor of the Bank was revocable.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the power of attorney was irrevocable because the Bank had an interest in the subject-matter of the agency. The Bank's interest arose from the fact that the power of attorney authorized it to execute the decree and appropriate the decretal amount in satisfaction of its loan. Therefore, the agency was irrevocable under Section 202 of the Contract Act.

Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed with costs.

DHAVAN, J.

( 1 ) THIS is a decree-holders appeal from an order of the Second Additional Civil Judge, Agra, dismissing his application praying that the Court should not proceed with the execution of the decree at the instance of his agent who had applied far execution under a power of attorney executed by him. The case is somewhat peculiar and the facts are these. The appellant Loon karan Sethiya is the decree-holder. He obtained a decree for about Rs. 15 lacs against Ivan E. John and certain other persons. But Sethiya was himself heavily indebted to the State Bank of jaipur, Agra Branch (the principal respondent in this appeal), and the Bank pressed him to pay back the loan; As he was not in a position to do so he made an agreement with the Bank under which he executed a power of attorney in its favour authorising it to execute his decree against ivan E. John and to credit the amount realised to his account. In plain words, the agreement was that the Bank instead of realising its debt from Sethiya was to realise it from his judgment-debtor by executing the decree obtained by him. The circumstances in which the power of attorney was executed have been described in detail in the preamble of this document The power of attorney was expressly made irrevocable and registered. In pursuance of their authority the Bank of Jaipur applied for execution of the decree. On 12-1-1960 Sethiya made the application which has given rise to this appeal. In it he alleged that the Bank, or rather its agent and employees, had colluded with the judgment-debtor and therefore he had cancelled the power of attorney in the Banks favour. The application was not supported by any affidavit and no particulars of the alleged collusion were given. It was opposed by the Bank, inter alia, on two grounds-- first that it contained no particulars of the alleged collusion and secondly the power of attorney was irrevocable. Sethiya took time to supply, the particulars of collusion and obtained several adjournments for this purpose. But the particulars were never supplied and ultimately on 16-4-1960 the application was dismissed for non-compliance with the Courts order.

( 2 ) ON 14-5-60 Sethiya moved his second application on the same ground as the first. He alleged that he had cancelled the power of attorney in favour of the Bank, because its agent and employees had colluded with the judgment-debtor. Again, no particulars of the alleged collusion were supplied. The Bank opposed this application on the same grounds as the first and in addition contended that after the dismissal of the previous application for non-compliance of the courts order the applicant was disentitled to move another application on the same grounds but the learned Judge did not decide this objection as he preferred to dispose of the application on merits. He upheld the Banks plea that the power of attorney was irrevocable and dismissed the application of Sethiya who has now come to this Court in appeal. We have heard Mr. A. K. Kirti for the appellant at some length but we are of the opinion that this appeal is entirely without substance. Learned counsel contended that the power of attorney in favour of the respondent, bank was revocable because a principal has always the power to revoke the authority of his agent unless the agency is coupled with an interest. Counsel contended that in this case the agent had no interest in the subject-matter of the agency. We do not agree. We have examined the power of attorney. The preamble explains the circumstance which induced Sethiya to execute and the Bank to accept the power of attorney in their favour. It states that Sethiya was heavily indebted to the Bank, that the major part of his liability was unsecured, that the Bank was pressing hard for its money, and he had agreed to appoint the Bank as his attorney to execute the decree and credit the realisations to his account, it is therefore obvious that the Bank had an interest in the agency which was creat




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