Court Orders Petroleum Giant to Vacate Premises, Pay Rent Arrears

Background

The case involves a partnership firm that owns a property in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, and a dispute with the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) over the operation of a petrol bunk on the premises. In 1996, the partnership firm had entered into a 25-year lease agreement with BPCL, which was set to expire on July 31, 2022.

Arguments

When the lease term ended, the partnership firm was unwilling to renew the agreement and sought the surrender of the premises. However, BPCL refused to vacate the property. The partnership firm then approached the authorities to cancel the necessary licenses and certificates, which were eventually revoked. BPCL filed a civil suit seeking to declare the cancellation of the No Objection Certificate as null and void, but the suit was rendered infructuous by the court's order.

Court's Analysis and Reasoning

The court examined the various judgments cited by the parties and found that the conduct of BPCL, a public sector undertaking, in continuing to occupy the property without paying rent after the expiration of the lease was unbecoming of a statutory corporation. The court noted that BPCL's behavior was similar to the conduct observed by the Supreme Court in a previous case involving the same respondent.

Decision

The court ordered BPCL to vacate the premises within two months and pay the arrears of market rent from August 1, 2022, until the date of handing over possession, along with interest at 12% per annum and a cost of ₹1,00,000. The court emphasized that public sector undertakings are not above the law and must comply with the rule of law.