The Supreme Court recently said that no advocate is required to verify the genuineness of a power of attorney handed over by a litigant. [Ismailbhai Patel v. State of Gujarat].The bench of Justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan stated,"When a litigant claiming to be a power of attorney holder of others, approaches a member of the Bar and shows him the original power of attorney and engages him to file a case, the Advocate is not expected to get the genuineness of the power of attorney verified, unless he has a reasonable doubt about its genuineness," the order stated..The appellant, an advocate, sought discharge from a criminal trial after being implicated under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating and forgery. It was alleged that a fabricated power of attorney was used in a tenancy case.The top court held that no case was made against the advocate based on the charges presented, and discharged him from the criminal trial. .However, the bench underlined that the allegations against the other accused were not addressed in the judgment..[Read Judgment]
