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1973 Supreme(Del) 216

High Court Of Delhi
TULISON TRADERS - Appellant
Versus
GURDIT SINGH - Respondent
Civil 27 of 1966
Decided On : 09/14/1973

Advocates Appeared:
B.N.NAYAR, D.P.GUPTA, I.D.Garg, J.K.SETH, T.N.Sethi

The bar of res judicata is created by a judgment and not by a decree. A decision given simultaneously cannot be said to be the decision in the former suit qua the other suit.

Headnote:

LANDLORD TENANT - EJECTMENT - SUB-TENANCY - RELATIONSHIP OF LANDLORD AND TENANT - ATTORNMENT - OWNERSHIP - NOTICE - SUBMISSION OF RENT - DISMISSAL OF SUIT - RES JUDICATA - CONSOLIDATION OF SUITS - JUDGMENT - DECREE - BAR TO TRIAL OF SUIT - FORMER SUIT - SUBSEQUENT SUIT - DECISION - APPEAL - REVISION - PRELIMINARY GROUND - LIMITATION - DEFAULT IN PRINTING - DISMISSAL ON MERITS - COMMON JUDGMENT - SEPARATE DECREES - SINGLE CONTROVERSY - SINGLE PROCEEDING - SINGLE JUDGMENT - RES JUDICATA - CONSOLIDATED CASES - COMPLETE IDENTITY OF SUBJECT MATTER - SINGLE APPEAL - TWO DECREES - MAINTENANCE OF REVISION PETITION - LOCUS STANDI - SUBLETTING - SURRENDER OF PREMISES - THREAT OF EVICTION - PARAMOUNT TITLE - SETTLEMENT - COMPROMISE - ORAL STORY - INTERVENTION OF PARAMOUNT TITLE - DISMISSAL OF REVISION PETITION.

Fact of the Case:

Gurdit Singh, the respondent, filed a suit seeking ejectment of the petitioners from the premises which were sub-let to them by Gurdit Singh on the ground of non-payment of rent. The petitioners resisted the suit on various grounds, including that they were not tenants under Gurdit Singh, that they had attorned to the new landlords, and that a dispute between the parties had been settled through a compromise.

Finding of the Court:

The trial court dismissed the suit, but on appeal, the first appellate court decreed the suit in favor of Gurdit Singh. The petitioners filed a revision petition challenging the appellate court's decision.

Issues: 1. Whether the relationship of landlord and tenant existed between the plaintiff and the defendants? 2. Whether the defendants had attorned to the new landlords? 3. Whether the new landlords were the owners of the property? 4. Whether the notice served on the defendants was valid? 5. Whether the defendants were tenants under the Corporation? 6. Whether the suit was barred by res judicata?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that the petitioners were sub-tenants under Gurdit Singh and that the relationship of landlord and tenant existed between them. 2. The court found that the petitioners had not attorned to the new landlords and that the alleged settlement between the parties was not proved. 3. The court held that the new landlords were the owners of the property. 4. The court found that the notice served on the petitioners was valid. 5. The court held that the petitioners were not tenants under the Corporation. 6. The court held that the suit was not barred by res judicata as the judgment in the previous suit did not operate as res judicata in the present case.

Final Decision: The revision petition was dismissed, and the appellate court's decision decreeing the suit in favor of Gurdit Singh was upheld.

PRITHVI RAJ, J.

( 1 ) THIS Civil revision is directed against the judgment dated the 9th August, 1966, passed by Shri D. R. Khanna, Additional Senior Sub-Judge, Delhi, with enhanced appellate powers whereby he accepted the appeal of respondent Gurdit Singh carrying on business in the name and style of Luxmi Trading Agency against the order and judgment dated the 12th January, 1965, passed by Shri K. C. Dewan, Sub-Judge 2nd Class, Delhi, whereby the learned Sub-Judge dismissed the suit of the respondent Gurdit Singh against the present petitioners and respondents No. 3 and 4, claiming ejectment of the petitioners in respect of a part of the premises in the back portion of the building bearing municipal No. 764 towards Queens Road, New Delhi, which ejectment was sought on the ground of nonpayment of rent. In the result Shri D. R. Khanna, decreed the suit against the present petitioners and respondents 3 and 4 in the present revision petition.

( 2 ) RELEVANT facts necessary for the disposal of this petition are that building bearing municipal No. 764, Queens Road, New Delhi, belonged to one Haji Mohd. Yasin. A part of the building was let out by the owner to M/s. Overseas Trading Corporation (herein to be called the Corporation ) who rented out the back portion of the premises comprised in their tenancy to respondent Gurdit Singh and Luxmi Trading Agency, of which Gurdit Singh was the proprietor. Gurdit Singh subsequently sub-let a part of the said premises to Luxmi Soda Water Factory, respondent No. 3, with the consent and knowledge of Corporation, on a monthly rent of Rs. 39. 00. Luxmi Soda Water Factory was run by one Onkar Singh who took with him in partnership Joginder Singh son of Gurdit Singh on the basis of partnership deed, Exhibit P/1. This partnership was continued for a short period of 5 to 6 months and was dissolved b\ dissolution deed, Exhibit P/2. After dissolution Onkar Singh continued to be the sole owner of the Luxmi Soda Water Factory. Onkar Singh eventually sold the said business, its assets and the good-will to petitioner Tarlok Nath and Kundan Lal Tuli, respondent No. 4, who were accepted as sub-tenants by Gurdit Singh. Tarlok Nath and Kundan Lal subsequently carried on the business under the name and style of Tulison Traders, petitioner No. 1. Gurdit Singh filed suit (suit No. 565 of 1958) seeking ejectment of the petitioners and respondents 3 and 4 from the premises which were sub-let to them by Gurdit Singh on the ground that the sub-tenants were in arrears of rent which rent had not been paid by them from 1st September, 1955, to 31st July, 1958.

( 3 ) THE defendants in the above-said suit resisted the same on a host of grounds. It was contended by them that Kundan Lal had retired from the business; that Luxmi Soda Water Factory stopped business and was not in occupation of the premises and that they were not necessary parties to the suit. It was further alleged that on the migration of the owner of the property to Pakistan, the property became evacuee property which was purchased by Sarvashri Faquir Chand, Banwari Lal and others; that they were required to be impleaded as parties to the suit, being owners of the property. On merits it was contended that Gurdit Singh and Luxmi Trading Company did not sub-let the portion in question to the petitioners. No question of any default, therefore, arose as the petitioners were not tenants under them. It was claimed that the petitioners had paid uptodate rent to the owner-landlords, vez. , Faquir Chand and others who had purchased the property. By way of additional pleas it was alleged that the petitioners were tenants in the portion in their possession under the Corporation who were tenants under the Custodian. On Faquir Chand and others becoming landlords the Corporation surrendered the tenancy of the permises in the occupation of the petitioners whereupon the petitioners attorned to the new landlords and had been paying rent directly to them. It was further al






































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