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1964 Supreme(Online)(All) 19

ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
*S. S. Dhavan, K. B. Asthana, JJ.
Loon Karan Sethiya – Appellant
Versus
State Bank of Jaipur, Agra Branch – Respondent
Ex. F. A. No. 26 of 1961



A power of attorney executed under a debt agreement is irrevocable when the agent has an interest in the property subject to the agency.

Headnote:The appeal arises from a decree-holder's challenge to the dismissal of his application to halt execution by an agent under a power of attorney relating to a decree. The court analyzed the irrevocability of the power of attorney executed in favor of the State Bank, establishing it under Section 202 of the Contract Act, given the Bank's interest in executing the decree to satisfy debts. The appeal was dismissed on the grounds that the power of attorney could not be revoked as it was coupled with an interest and was validly executed. The final ruling upheld the initial dismissal of the application.

Table of Content
1. overview of appeal and initiation process. (Para 1)
2. validity of irrevocable power of attorney. (Para 2)
3. rejection of new arguments in appeal. (Para 3)

1. This is a decree - holder's 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 for 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 Bank's favour. The application was not supported by any affidavit and no particulars of the alleged collision were given. It was opposed by the Bank, later 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 fever supplied and ultimately on 16-4-1960 the application was dismissed for non - compliance with the Court's 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 Court's 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 Bank's 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



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