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2003 Supreme(Guj) 574

Gujarat High Court
Judgename :K.M.MEHTA, R.K.Abichandani
SURJITSING ACCHALSING THRO PROPRIETOR - Appellant
Versus
MOTILAL HIRALAL WAREHOUSE and ESTATE LIMITED - Respondent
Civil Revision Application 1064 of 2001
Decided On : 10/01/2003

Advocates Appeared: GIRISH D.BHATT, YATIN SONI

Headnote:Bombay Rents, Hotel & Lodging House Rates Control Act, 1947 (Bom. Act 57 of 1947) - Secs. 12(2), 13(1)(g) & 29(2) - Transfer of Property Act, 1882 - Sec. 106 - Eviction - Breach of condition - No notice of termination of tenancy given - Learned Single Judge referred the matter to larger Bench - Held, the decision of learned Single Judge in Shantabens case 2001 (2) GLR 1615 should not be read to mean that a notice is required under the provisions of Sec. 106 of T.P. Act, 1882 for terminating a contractual tenancy under Rent Act - Such reading would be in clear violation of 7 Judge Bench judgment of Supreme Court in V. Dhanapal Chettiar, AIR 1979 SC 1745 - In the instant case eviction validity ordered for contravention of the terms of tenancy for which no notice under Sec. 106 of 1882 Act required - Revision rejected.

       The decision of the learned Single Judge in Shantaben Harilal Brahmbhat vs. Hasmukhlal Maneklal Chokshi, 2001 (2) GLR 1615, should not be read so as to mean that a notice is required to be issued under the provisions of Sec. 106 of the Transfer of Property Act for terminating a contractual tenancy before institution of any suit under the Rent Act. Such a reading of the judgment in Shantabens case would be in clear violation of the ratio of the decision of the 7-Judges Bench judgment of the Supreme Court in V. Dhanapal Chettiar vs. Yasoda Ammal, AIR 1979 SC 1745.

       [Para 10.4]

       The concurrent findings of fact clearly disclose - that there was a breach committed by the tenant of Clause (7) of the rent note Exh. 38 which stipulated that the tenant will not put up any furnace, electric or otherwise. The Courts below found that electric furnace was put up by the tenant in contravention of the terms of tenancy.

       [Para 13]

       The findings of the trial Court and the Appellate Bench have been reached on the basis of the material on record and there is no illegality committed by the Courts in reaching these findings. There is, therefore, no warrant for interfering with the impugned decision. The revision application is, therefore, rejected.

       [Para 14]

R. K. ABICHANDANI, J.

( 1 ) THIS revision application filed under Section 29 (2) of the Bombay Rents (Hotel and Lodging House Rent Control) Act, 1947 (hereinafter referred to as `the said Act) has been placed before this Division Bench pursuant to the order dated 11-10-2001 made by the learned Single Judge stating that the view taken by a Single Judge of this Court in Shantaben Harilal Brahmbhatt v. Hasmukhlal Maneklal Chokshi, reported in 2001 (2) G. L. R. 1615, was inconsistent with the principle enunciated by the Supreme Court in V. Dhanapal Chettiar v. Yasodai Ammal, reported in AIR 1979 SC 1745.

( 2 ) A contention was taken up before the learned Single Judge in the revision application that the suit of the respondent for eviction was not maintainable, because, contractual tenancy of the petitioner was not terminated by serving any notice determining the tenancy under Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882. The petitioner, in support of this contention, relied upon the decision of this Court in Shantabens case (supra), more particularly the observations made therein to the effect that the basic principle was that, without determination of the tenancy, no suit for eviction was maintainable.

( 3 ) THE facts of the case are in a narrow compass. The suit was filed by the respondent against the petitioner for eviction on the ground of breach of terms of tenancy, nuisance and annoyance. The breach of terms of tenancy was alleged on the ground that, as per the rent note exh. 38, the premises were let out for using them as a godown, but, the appellant had, instead, made an electric furnace in the rented premises contrary to the specific prohibition contained in the terms of tenancy. As per Clause (7) of the rent note exh. 38, the tenant was to use the premises only for godown for the purpose of storing gram and groundnut, and it was stipulated that he would not put up any furnace therein working either by fire or by electricity. It is not disputed that, under Clause (7) of the rent note exh. 38, the appellant could not have put up any furnace, including an electric furnace. 3. 1 the ground of nuisance was given up before the trial Court and the matter was contested only on the ground that the appellant had violated the terms of tenancy.

( 4 ) THE trial Court, on the basis of material on record, came to the conclusion that, by putting up an electric furnace, the appellant had committed breach of the conditions of tenancy, and decreed the suit on 6th March 2002. In the appeal, the Appellate Bench of the Small Causes Court, Ahmedabad, on its own appreciation of the material on record, concurred with the finding of the trial Court, by holding that it was clear from the evidence on record that the appellant had committed breach of the terms of the rent note exh. 38, and was liable to be evicted.

( 5 ) THE only contention raised before us, in the background of the above concurrent findings of the trial Court and the Appellate Bench, is that, since admittedly no notice terminating the tenancy of the appellant was given as per the provision of Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, the suit was not maintainable, and therefore, no decree for eviction could have been passed. The learned counsel for the appellant has placed reliance on certain observations made by the learned Single Judge in Shantabens case (supra) in support of his contention.

( 6 ) THE learned counsel for the respondent submitted that the above contention, which is now sought to be raised, was never raised before the trial Court or before the Appellate Bench, and therefore, ought not to be considered. He submitted that, in any event, the contention was devoid of merit in view of the decision of the Supreme Court in V. Dhanapal Chettiars case (supra ). He submitted that the present suit was not filed for the purpose of arrears of rent and therefore, there was no question of serving even a notice of demand of arrears in the mode prescribed by Section 1
















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