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2000 Supreme(Ker) 466

Judges : S.SANKARASUBBAN,A.LEKSHMIKUTTY
Abdul Khadir - Appellant
Versus
Ouseph Mathai - Respondent
Case No : C.R.P.No.1913 etc. of 1995
Decided On : 10/23/2000
Advocates Appeared :
P.B. Krishnan For Petitioner Siby Mathew, A.A. Mohammed Nazir, P.A. Raziya & Wilson Urmise For Respondents

The power under Art.227 of the Constitution of India is not original proceedings but akin to revisional jurisdiction, and hence, the benefit under S.11(2)(c) of the Act can be extended even after the proceedings are disposed of under Art.227.

Headnote:

Rent Control Act - Eviction Order - S.11(2)(c) - S.115 of the Code of Civil Procedure - Art.227 of the Constitution of India - S.11(4)(iv) - S.20 - Aundal Ammal's Case (1987(1) KLT 53) - Krishna v. District Judge - Kanakamma v. Sivasankaran Nair - Kurian v. Saramma Chacko - Arumugham Chettiar v. Joseph - Waryam Singh and Anr. v. Amarnath and Ann - Umaji Keshao Meshram and Ors. v. Smt. Radhikabai andAnr. - Nataraja Chettiar v. Sulekha Amma

Fact of the Case:

The tenants filed applications under S.11(2)(c) of the Kerala Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act to vacate the eviction order based on arrears of rent and reconstruction. The Rent Control Court and the Appellate Court dismissed the applications. The tenants then moved the High Court under Art.227 of the Constitution of India, which was also dismissed. The tenants deposited the entire arrears of rent within 30 days and filed a petition under S.11(2) of the Act before the Rent Control Court, which was again dismissed.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the power under Art.227 of the Constitution of India is not original proceedings but akin to revisional jurisdiction, and hence, the benefit under S.11(2)(c) of the Act can be extended even after the proceedings are disposed of under Art.227. The court set aside the orders of the lower courts and allowed the application, granting the tenants the option to reconstruction of the building under the Proviso to S.11(4)(iv) of the Act.

Issues: The main issue was whether the tenants were entitled to exercise the option under S.11(2)(c) of the Act after the proceedings were disposed of under Art.227 of the Constitution of India.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the power under Art.227 of the Constitution of India is not original proceedings but akin to revisional jurisdiction, and hence, the benefit under S.11(2)(c) of the Act can be extended even after the proceedings are disposed of under Art.227.

Final Decision: The court set aside the orders of the lower courts and allowed the application, granting the tenants the option to reconstruction of the building under the Proviso to S.11(4)(iv) of the Act.

Judgment :-

S. Sankarasubban, J.

All these Civil Revision Petitions are filed against the judgment of the Appellate Authority, which confirmed the order passed by the Rent Control Court dismissing the petitioners' applications under S.11(2)(c) of the Kerala Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act'). The petitioners are the tenants. The landlord in these cases applied for eviction on the basis of arrears of rent and reconstruction. Eviction was ordered on both these grounds.

2. The tenants challenged the order of eviction before" the Revisional Authority under S.20 of the Act. At that time, revision lay before the District Court. Against the order of the District Court, revisions were filed before the High Court under S.115 of the Code of Civil Procedure. When the matter was pending before the High Court, the Supreme Court held in Aundal Ammal 's Case (1987(1) KLT 53) that a second revision will not lie before the High Court under S.115 of the Code of Civil Procedure. But the Supreme Court held that a petition under Art.227 of the Constitution of India will lie to the High Court challenging the order of the Revisional Authorities under S.20 of the Act.

3. Thereafter, the petitioners moved the High Court under Art.227 of the Constitution of India. The petition under Art.227 of the Constitution of India was heard on merits and it was dismissed. _thus, the eviction order was confirmed for' reconstruction and for arrears of rent. After the High Court pronounced the order under Art.227 of the Constitution of India, the tenants deposited the entire arrears of rent within 30 days and filed petition under S.11(2) of the Act before the Rent Control Court to vacate the order of eviction under S.11(2)(c) of the Act. That application was dismissed by the Rent Control Court as well as by the Appellate Court. Both the courts primarily relied upon a decision of this Court in Krishna v. District Judge -1991 (2) KLT 316. In the above decision, Padmanabhan, J. held that the revisional jurisdiction is fundamentally appellate jurisdiction of a higher court with certain restrictions. A proceeding under Art.227 could be considered as a civil proceeding if the original proceeding on which it is based; is civil. It may be akin to S.115 of the Code of Civil Procedure. But the remedy is not statutory, but only constitutional in exercise of the right of the general power of superintendence. On that basis, the High Court held that the power under S.115 of the Code of Civil Procedure and Art.227 of the Constitution of India is different and so as a matter of right, the petitioners are not entitled to be given the right to exercise option under S.11(2)(c) of the Act. It is challenging the above orders that these revisions are filed.

4. In this context it is pertinent to note that the buildings have been vacated because the eviction order is also under S.11(4) (iv) of the Act. If the tenants are given the benefit of S.11(2) (c) of me Act, the) will be entitled to the exercise of the benefit of option under the proviso to S.11(4)(iv) of the Act.

5. We heard Shri. P.B. Krishnan, learned counsel for the petitioners and Shri. Siby Mathew learned counsel for the contesting respondents.

6. Shri. P.B. Krishnan submitted that the decision reported in Krishna v. District Judge, 1991 (2) KLT 316, requires reconsideration. According to him, it goes against the decision of Janaki Amma, J. in Kanakamma v. Sivasankaran Nair, 1976 KLT 911, wherein for the first time, it was held by this Court that the tenant will be entitled to exercise option under S.11(2)(c) of the Act even after the dismissal of the revision under S.115 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Shri. Krishnan also submitted that the power under Art.227 of the Constitution of India is only a power of superintendence. It is not original proceedings and further, the court has got power under Art.227 of the Constitution to interfere with the order passed by the Tribunal or by the Appella











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