Can an enrolled advocate be authorized officer (for sarfaesi act) for any bank/financial institution

1. Rule 2(a) of the Security Interest Enforcement Rule 2002 define authorised officer means an officer not less than a chief manager of a public sector bank or equivalent as specified by the board of directors/creditor. Hence the AO must be an employee officer of the bank, not an outsider.

2.   An advocate is not an officer of the bank, if advocate acts as AO with out being a bank officer, violation of Rules 49 of the Bar Council of India Rule and also violation of the SARFAESI Act.

Rule 2(a) of the Security Interest (Enforcement) Rules, 2002 also clarifies the same.

Thus, the Authorised Officer must be an employee of the bank/NBFC, not an external professional.
Courts have repeatedly held that:

The demand notice must be issued by the Authorised Officer of the bank, otherwise proceedings are invalid.

Delegation of this statutory function to an external advocate is not permissible.

The advocate can act either of them and not in both functions.