Order

These appeals are directed against the order of the High Court of Madras dated 24.11.1997 in Civil Revision Petition Nos. 3476 of 1985 and 830 of 1997 dismissing these revisions. These appeals arise under the Tamil Nadu Buldings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1960 (Tamil Nadu Act No. 18 of 1960), hereinafter referred to as “the Act”. The short facts are that the appellant is a tenant of the disputed premises, who was running an automobile workshop. The respondent filed the eviction petition against him, on the grounds that he is defaulter, not paid the rents from October, 1982 to May 1983, the said premises is re­quired for demolition and reconstruction and that he has sub-let a portion of the disputed premises.

2. The appellant’s stand is that earlier he was under an impression that the respondent is the owner of the premises but later he came to know that Arulmigu Athikesava Perumal Peyalwar Devasthanam is the owner of the premises. So he wrote a letter to the said Devasthanam to recog­nise the appellant as a tenant. Since then and for this reason the appellant did not pay any rent to the respondent bona fide believing the Devasthanam to be the owner. The Rent Controll