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1984 Supreme(Cal) 140

High Court of Calcutta
Amitabha Dutta, J.
Katyani Dutta - Appellant
Versus
Mantu Shaw Alias Mantu Chandra Shaw - Respondent
Decided On : Apr 12,1984

The civil court has concurrent jurisdiction with the Rent Controller to grant relief to a tenant for restoration of essential services, including electricity, and a tenant has a right to get supply of electricity as a tenant under the general law and under the provisions of the Transfer of Property Act and the Indian Electricity Act.

Headnote:

TENANCY LAW - ELECTRICITY SUPPLY - JURISDICTION - CIVIL COURT - CONCURRENT JURISDICTION WITH RENT CONTROLLER - RIGHT OF TENANT TO GET SUPPLY OF ELECTRICITY - INHERENT POWER OF COURT UNDER SECTION 151 OF CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE - CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES DURING PENDENCY OF SUIT - GRANT OF PERMISSION TO TENANT TO TAKE SUPPLY OF ELECTRICITY THROUGH NEW METER - WEST BENGAL PREMISES TENANCY ACT, 1956, SECTIONS 34, 36 - TRANSFER OF PROPERTY ACT, 1882, SECTION 108 - INDIAN ELECTRICITY ACT, 1910, SECTIONS 10(2), 12(2), 22 - CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE, 1908, SECTIONS 39 RULES 1 AND 2, 151.

Fact of the Case:

Plaintiff, a tenant, filed a suit against the defendant landlord for a declaration of tenancy and permanent injunction restraining the defendant from interfering with the supply of electricity and water to the suit premises. During the pendency of the suit, the defendant disconnected the supply of electricity to the plaintiff's premises. The plaintiff applied under section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure for permission to get a new electric meter at his own cost and risk.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the civil court has concurrent jurisdiction with the Rent Controller to grant relief to a tenant for restoration of essential services, including electricity. The court also held that the plaintiff had a right to get supply of electricity as a tenant under the general law flowing from the provisions of section 108 of the Transfer of Property Act and also under the provisions of section 12(2) and Section 22 of the Indian Electricity Act, 1910.

Issues: 1. Whether the civil court has jurisdiction to grant relief to a tenant for restoration of essential services, including electricity? 2. Whether the plaintiff has a right to get supply of electricity as a tenant under the general law and under the provisions of the Transfer of Property Act and the Indian Electricity Act?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that the civil court has concurrent jurisdiction with the Rent Controller to grant relief to a tenant for restoration of essential services, including electricity. The court relied on the decisions in Loken Bose v. Asima dey 81 CWN 943, Bajcul Rani v. Nanibala, 86 CWN 946 and Suresh Kumar vs. Mahadev Prosad, AIR 1982 Calcutta 395, which held that a tenant has remedies before the Controller and before the Civil Court which are concurrent. 2. The court held that the plaintiff had a right to get supply of electricity as a tenant under the general law flowing from the provisions of section 108 of the Transfer of Property Act and also under the provisions of section 12(2) and Section 22 of the Indian Electricity Act, 1910.

Final Decision: The court discharged the rule challenging the order of the learned Munsif granting the plaintiff permission to take supply of electricity from a new meter, subject to the condition that the order will operate till the disposal of the suit and the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation will be at liberty to disconnect supply of electricity, in case the suit instituted by the plaintiff is dismissed.

JUDGMENT

1. THIS is an application by the defendant for revision of an order dated 14.2.1983 passed by the learned Munsif Second Court, alipore granting the plaintiff permission to get a new electric meter in the suit premises at his own costs and at his own risk and responsibility.

2. THE facts and circumstances out of which the present application has arisen, may be briefly stated. The plaintiff filed Title Suit No. 329 of 1982 on 5.8.1982 on the allegations that he was a tenant under the defendant in premises No. 2, chetla Hat Road in respect of one room, kitchen, bath, privy at a rental of Rs. 45-per month payable according to the English calendar month; that he was getting supply of electricity by mutual arrangement with a co-tenant named Sri lakshmi Sen in the same building on payment of electric charges with the approval of the defendant and that the defendant was threatening disconnection of the aforesaid supply of electricity and also water supply to the plaintiff. The plaintiff in the plaint has prayed for a declaration that he is a tenant in respect of the aforesaid suit premises and that the defendant has no right to interfere with the supply of electricity and water to the plaintiff and for a permanent injunction restraining the defendant, from interfering with the supply of electricity and water to the plaintiff during the continuance of his tenancy and also any other relief or reliefs to which the plaintiff is entitled in law and equity. On the same day, the plaintiff applied for temporary injunction under Order 39 Rules 1 and 2, read with section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure praying for temporary injunction restraining the defendant from obstructing the supply of electricity and water to the plaintiff's tenanted the suit building. The learned passed an exparte order directing the parties to maintain status quo in respect of supply of electricity and water to the plaintiff's tenanted portion. Thereafter on 11.8.1982 the defendant appeared and filed an affidavit stating that he was aware of the order for maintaining status quo and that Lakshmi Sen the co-tenant had surrendered his tenancy to the defendant. The application for temporary injunction was disposed of by order no. 16 dated 15.2.1983 and the learned Munsif rejected the application as it was not-pressed. In the meantime, the plaintiff had filed an application under section 151 of the Code on 6.9.1982 in which it was alleged that after the passing of the order for maintaining status quo the defendant disconnected the supply of electricity to the plaintiff's portion and that the plaintiff is entitled to supply of electricity as an amenity annexed to his tenancy. The plaintiff further pleaded that if he was not given permission to get electricity by having a new meter in his name, he would suffer untold inconvenience. On such pleading, the plaintiff prayed for permission to get new electric meter, at his tenanted premises from the calcutta Electric Supply Corporation at his own cost. The learned Munsif after hearing both parties has found that there is no denying the fact that the plaintiff is entitled to have the connection of electricity in the premises in suit and in view of the essential nature of the amenity of supply of electricity the prayer of the plaintiff should be allowed. In that view, he has granted the permission to the plaintiff to get new electric meter in the suit premises at his own costs and risk and responsibility,

In challenging the aforesaid order of the learned Munsif, it has been sub-mission behalf of the defendant petitioner that the learned Muhsif has committed an error of jurisdiction in passing the impugned order on several grounds. Firstly, it is contended that there is want of jurisdiction of the learned Munsif. In view of the decision of the learned Judge N. G. Chaudhuri, J. in Gadadhar Das v. Santosh Mukherjee, 87 CWN 1043 that when no suit for eviction against the tenant was pending, he as plaintiff had no choice of for




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