P.A. Mohammed, J.

1. The substantial prayer in this writ petition filed by a residential tenant is for a direction to respondents 1 and 2 to afford adequate police protection to the petitioner and his family for tiling the collapsed roof and repairing two side-walls. Respondents 1 and 2 are the police officers and third respondent is the landlord of the building. Additional fourth respondent is the Accommodation Controller (Tahsildar, Cochin). Even though this is mainly a police protection case, the rights of the parties under the provisions of the Kerala Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act (for short 'the Rent Control Act') and the Transfer of Property Act (for short 'the T.P. Act') are coming up for adjudication in this case.

2. The circumstances which compelled the petitioner to file this writ petition can be summarised thus?: The petitioner is residing with his wife and children - five daughters and one son, as a tenant under the third respondent in a tiny line-building obtained on a rental arrangement. The petitioner was paying the rent at the rate of Rs. 10.25 per month. However, the landlord filed a petition for eviction before the Rent Control Court, Cochin on the