High Court Of Delhi
RAJINDER SINGH - Appellant
Versus
A.P.PRABHAKARAN - Respondent
Civil 767 of 1995
Decided On : 03/10/1997
LANDLORD AND TENANT - EVICTION - BONA FIDE REQUIREMENT - SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION - INTERPRETATION OF SECTION 14 (1) (E) OF DELHI RENT CONTROL ACT - COURT HELD THAT THE LANDLORD'S NEED FOR THE PREMISES WAS GENUINE AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT ACCOMMODATION AND THE HOUSE AT NARAINA WERE NOT SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATIONS.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner, the owner of the first floor of a house in Delhi, filed an eviction petition under Section 14 (1) (e) of the Delhi Rent Control Act against the respondent, who was inducted as a tenant by the petitioner's mother. The petitioner claimed that he needed the premises for his own use and that he had no other suitable alternative accommodation.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the petitioner had two rooms in his possession in the Government allotted quarter at R. K. Puram, but that this accommodation was not suitable for his family, as it had only two bedrooms and he needed at least three to four bedrooms. The court also found that the house at Naraina was not available to the petitioner, as it was owned by his father and two brothers, and that there was no room available in the house for the petitioner and his family.
Issues: 1. Whether the petitioner had a bona fide requirement for the premises. 2. Whether the Government accommodation and the house at Naraina were suitable alternative accommodations.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the petitioner's need for the premises was genuine, as he had a large family and the Government accommodation and the house at Naraina were not suitable alternative accommodations. The court also held that the respondent had failed to prove his defense that he was not the tenant of the rear portion of the premises.
Final Decision: The court set aside the impugned order and passed an order of eviction under Section 14 (1) (e) of the Delhi Rent Control Act, giving the respondent a statutory period of six months to vacate the premises.
( 1 ) THE petitioner happens to be an owner of first floor of the house bearing No. D-32, Hauz Khas, New Delhi. Respondent No. 1 Mr. A. P. Prabhakaran was inducted as tenant by respondent No. 3 Smt. Kirpa Devi, mother of the appellant. Since the petitioner was working in C. R. P. F. which happens to be a transferable job, he, therefore, decided to settle his family at one place i. e. in Delhi. Tenanted premises consist of a drawing-cum-dining room, one bed room with attached bath room and a kitchen on the rear portion of the first floor of this house. Petitioner wanted the respondent to vacate this premises as he needed the same for himself and his family. But when the respondent failed to do so he filed the eviction petition under Section 14 (1) (e) of Delhi Rent Control Act (in short the Act) on 30th May, 1990. Family of the appellant consist of himself, his wife, two grown-up daughters and a son. The respondent No. 1 happened to be a close relation of respondent No. 2 Mr. P. K. S. Nair. It had been the case of the petitioner that respondent No. 1 sub-let and assigned the possession of the front portion of the premises to respondent No. 2. That respondent No. 1 has not been in actual physical possession of the premises. The premises in question was let out for residential purposes. When the petition was filed on 30th May, 1990 petitioner was staying with his family in a temporary rentage accommodation in 58 Bn. C. R. P. F. , Mehrauli, New Delhi. He pleaded that because of frequent transfers he could not carry his children with him as that would hamper their education. His eldest daughter was studying in B. A. first year, second daughter in l2th Class and son in 6th class in Delhi. Taking them away from Delhi would mean loss of their studies.
( 2 ) THIS petition was contested by respondents 1 and 2. They filed their written statements. But after filing written statement respondent No. 1 did not appear. The learned ARC vide order dated 29th July,1995 dismissed the petition of the petitioner holding that there did not exist any relationship of landlord tenant between the petitioner and the respondent No. 1 and that the premises was not required bona fide by him.
( 3 ) AGGREIVED by the impugned order, this petition has been filed challenging the said order, inter alia, on the ground that the learned ARC wrongly presumed that Type-IV Government accommodation always consist of three living rooms, besides drawing room. These observations of the learned ARC, Mr. V. K. Shali Counsel for the petitioner contended are not borne out from the record. It appears the learned ARC inferred his personal knowledge without disclosing the same to the petitioner and thus deprived reasonable opportunity to the petitioner to disprove the same. There was nothing on record to conclude that Type-IV Government accommodation allotted to the petitioner consisted of three living bed rooms and drawing-cum-dining room. In the absence of any material available on record the learned ARC committed a patent error in presuming about the accommodation in possession of the petitioner. On the contrary learned ARC ignored the certificate issued by the CPWD describing the accommodation with the petitioner. Thus the judgment of the learned ARC is based on surmises and conjectures. It is against law. The learned ARC could not have based this finding on his personal knowledge without disclosing the- source as to where from he acquired that knowledge. Contrary to the presumption of ARC, the petitioner appearing as his own witness (AW-2) categorically stated that Type-IV Government accommodation allotted to him consisted of two bed rooms. On this there was no cross-examination nor any rebuttal. This part of his statement remained unchallenged on record. The ARC committed error in ignoring this unchallenged statement of the petitioner. To support his statement that the Government accommodation allotted to him consisted of only two bed rooms besides drawing-cum-din
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