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1969 Supreme(SC) 132

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
K.S.Hegde : R.S.Bachawat : S.M.Sikri
Goppulal
Versus
Thakurji Shriji Shriji Dwarakadheeshji
Case No. : 53 (n) of 1969
Date of Decision : 3/12/69
Advocates Appeared: Agarwala C.B. : Iyengar B.R.I. : Mehta K.L. : Mehta S.K. : Narain Mohinder : Nath Rameshwar

Advocates:
B.R.IYENGAR, C.B.AGARWAL, K.L.Mehta, MOHINDER NARAIN, RAMESHWAR NATH ROY, S.K.MEHTA

Headnote:

Rajasthan Premises (Control of Rent and Eviction) Act, 1950 - 13(1), (e), 26 and 27(1), 13 and 2 - Rent Act - Section 13(1) (e) – Constitution of India, 1950 - Article 385 - Transfer of Property Act - Section l08(j) - Landlord - Tenant - Shops - Suit for Ejectment - Sub-Let Six Shops - Whether in execution of a decree or otherwise, evicting tenant so long as he is ready and willing to pay rent therefor to full extent allowable - Whether a sub-letting before coming into force of Act is within purview of clause (e) of Section 13(1) depends upon construction of that clause – Held, Argument that Section 13(1) (e) takes away vested rights and should not be given a retrospective effect is based on fallacious assumptions - Apart from Rent Act landlord is entitled to eject tenant on expiry of period mentioned in notice to quit - Section 13(1) protects tenant from eviction except in certain specified cases - If one of grounds of ejectment is made out tenant does not qualify for protection from eviction – Court find no reason for presuming that Section 13(1) (e) is not intended to apply to sub-lettings before Act came into force - Plaintiffs have thus established ground of eviction under Section 13(1) (e) with regard to two shops on northern side of staircase of temple - With regard to four other shops courts below concurrently found that they were sub-let with permission of landlord - In Court opinion, plaintiffs are entitled to a decree for ejectment of defendant from two shops and claim for eviction from other four shops should be dismissed - Decree passed by High court for eviction of defendant from four shops is set aside and suit in so far as it claims eviction from four shops is dismissed - Decree passed by High court for eviction of defendant from other two shops on northern side of staircase of temple mentioned of plaint is affirmed - Defendant will have one months time to vacate two shops - Appeal partly allowed.

R.S. BACHAWAT, J.

(1) THIS appeal arises out of a suit for ejectment by a landlord against a tenant. The defendant is the tenant of six shops belonging to Thakurji Shri Shri Dwarkadheeshji installed in the temple at Chaura Raasta, Jaipur. Devendra Prasad is the adhikari or manager of the temple. He gave a notice to the defendant to quit the shop on 1/08/1957. On 28/02/1958, the deity and Devendra Prasad filed a suit against the defendant claiming recovery of possession of-the six shops and Rs. 1,006.00 on account of arrears of rent. The suit was governed by the Rajasthan Premises (Control of Rent and Eviction) Act, 1950 (Act No. XVII of 1950). The plaintiffs asked for ejectment of the defendant on the ground that he had sub-let the six shops. The other grounds of ejectment were not established, and it is not necessary to mention them. The courts below concurrently found that Devendra Prasad as the adhikari of the temple was entitled to give the notice to quit and to maintain the suit.

(2) THE trial court held that (1) all the six shops were sub-let by the defendant; (2) the sub-letting was with the permission of the landlord and (3) the notice to quit was waived by acceptance of rent subsequently accrued due. Accordingly, the trial court dismissed the suit so far as it claimed ejectment and passed a decree for Rs. 1,006.00 on account of arrears of rent. The plaintins filed an appeal against the decree. The District Judge, Jaipur City, dismissed the appeal. The plaintiffs filed a second appeal against the decree. The High court held that (1) there was one integrated tenancy of all the six shops ; (2) four shops were sub-let with the permission of the landlord ; (3) two shops were sub-let without the permission of the landlord towards the end of 1947 ; (4) the tenant having sub-let a part of the preroues without the permission of the landlord the ground of eviction under clause (e) of Section 13(1) was made out and the landlord was entitled to a decree for possession of all the six shops, and (5) there was no waiver of the notice to quit. Accordingly, the High court allowed the appeal and passed a decree for eviction of the defendant from the six shops. The present appeal has been filed by the defendant after obtaining special leave.

(3) COUNSEL for the appellant conceded that there was no waiver of the notice to quit by acceptance of rent or otherwise. The points arising for determination in this appeal are : (1) was there one integrated tenancy of all the six shops ? (2) were the two shops sub-let without the permission of the landlord towards the end of 1947 ? and (3) is the sub-letting a ground of ejectment under clause (e) of Section 13(1) of the Rent Act ?

(4) AS to the first question, we find that four shops were let to the defendant in 1944 and the other two shops on the northern side of the staircase of the temple were let to him in 1945. The rent of the four shops was Rs. 150.00 per month. The rent of the other two shops was Rs. 65.00 per month. In Paragraph 5 of the plaint it was pleaded that in 1953 the defendant agreed to pay a consolidated rent of Rs. 251/8/-per month for all the six shops and to vacate them by 31/07/1957. In Paragraph 5 of the written statement the defendant denied this contract and alleged that in 1953 there was only an enhancement of rent. The first two courts found that in 1953 there was no new contract of tenancy, that there was only an increase of rent and that the other terms and conditions of the tenancy remained unaltered. This finding was not vitiated by any error of law.

(5) A mere increase or reduction of rent does not necessarily import the surrender of the existing lease and the grant of a new tenancy. As stated in Hill and Redmans Law of Landlord and Tenant, 14th ed., Article 385, p. 493:

"BUT a surrender does not follow from a mere agreement made during the tenancy for the reduction or increase of rent, unless there is some special reason to in
















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