A suit for eviction of a tenant must be filed within twelve years from the date of determination of the tenancy, and the burden of proof is on the defendant to establish that the tenancy had been determined beyond twelve years prior to the date of the suit.

( 1 ) THE only question in this second appeal is whether the suit is barred under Art. 139, Limitation Act. ( The facts found by the Courts below may be briefly stated. In a partition that was effected in 1927, the plaint schedule property fell to the share of the plaintiff. He leased it to the defendants husband, late Baliah, is June 1927 at a monthly rent of Rs. 0-4-0 for a period of three years. After the expiry of the period of 3 years Baliah continued to be in possession and, after his death, the defendant, his widow, continued to be in possession of the land. There is no evidence to show that the defendant paid any rent to the plaintiff, nor is there any evidence to establish that the landlord otherwise assented to the continuance of the defendant as a tenant. The suit was filed by the lanlord for evicting the defendant on 24. 8. 1948, i. e. , clearly beyond twelve years from the date of expiry of the leasedeed. Both the Courts held that the suit was barred by limitation under Art. 139. Limitation Act. Hence the second appeal. Article 139, Limitation Act reads :"by a landlord to recover possession from a tenant -- Twelve years -- When the tenancy is determined". Mr. Kondiah, the learned counsel for the appellant, contends that the burden is upon the defendant to establish that the tenancy has been determined beyond twelve years prior to the date of the suit. In support of his contention he relied upon the decisions in -- "taishibhai Naranbhai v. Ranchhod, 26 Bom 442 (A) and -- Tiruchurna Perumal v. Sanguvien, 3 Mad 118 (B ). It is not necessary to consider these decisions in detail, as the proposition laid down therein is unexceptionable. The defendant-sessee who seeks to establish that the suit is barred by limitation is certainly bound to prove that the lease has been determined beyond twelve years prior to the date of the suit. But in the present case, the lease-deed, which has been held by the Courts below to be genuine, prima facie, establishes that the term of lease had expired in June 1930. The burden thereafter shifts on theplaintiff to allege and prove that notwithstanding the expiry of the term fixed in the lease-deed, the defendant continued to be a tenant holding over within the meaning of S. 116, Transfer of Property Act. In this case, there is no evidence to the effect that either the defendant paid rent to the plaintiff or the plaintiff by some other act recgonised the defendant as his tenant. If so, it follows that a suit filed beyond twelve years from the date of the termination of the tenancy is clearly barred by time under Art. 139, Limitation Act. This conclusion is supported by two decisions of the Madras High Court, namely, -- Sudalaimuthu Thevan v. Sappani Thevan, AIR 1925 Mad 446 (C) and -- Sitharamiah v. Ramaswamy, AIR 1938 Mad 73 (D ). In the first of the two decisions cited above, Venkatasubba Rao J. , under similar circumstances, held that the suit was barred by limitation. The learned Judge observed at page 446 as follows : After the determination of the lease in 1902, no new tenancy was created because neither the lessor nor his legal representative assented to the lessee continuing in possession. Under S. 116, Transfer of Property Act, if a lessee remains in possession after the determination of the lease and the lessor accepts rent from thelessee or otherwise assents to his continuing in possession, the lease is renewed from year to year or from month to month according to the purpose for which the property was originally leased. No new tenancy having, therefore, been created, the article directly applicable is Art. 139, Limitation Act So too, Horwill J. in AIR 1938 Mad 73 (D) held that a suit filed by a landlord after the expiration of twelve years from the date when the tenancy was terminated was barred by limitation under Art. 139, Limitation Act. When a similar argument now raised before me was argued before the learned Judge (Horwill J.) he observed at page 74 as follo