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2022 Supreme(Raj) 1657

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT JODHPUR
Vijay Bishnoi, J.
Neelam Nagpal – Appellant
Versus
Tolaram – Respondent
S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 9869 of 2021
Decided On : 07-05-2022

Advocates appeared:
Sanjeet Purohit, Advocate, M.S. Purohit, Advocate

The main legal point established in the judgment is that every person has the right to prove their case before any court and should be given sufficient opportunity for adducing evidence, while also emphasizing expeditious decision-making and limiting the opportunities for the respondent to adduce evidence.

Headnote:

Rent Tribunal - Rajasthan Rent Control act, 2001 - Section 18 - 215 - The court discussed the application of Section 18 of the Rajasthan Rent Control act, 2001 and directed the rent tribunal to decide the application filed by the respondent expeditiously, granting only one opportunity to adduce evidence.

Fact of the Case:

The respondent filed an application under Section 18 of the Rajasthan Rent Control act, 2001 before the rent tribunal to restrain the petitioner from dispossessing him from the property. The rent tribunal dismissed the application, leading to an appeal by the respondent. The appellate rent tribunal allowed the appeal and remanded the matter to the rent tribunal with a direction to grant one last opportunity to the respondent to adduce evidence.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the respondent, who had been in police and judicial custody, was not in a position to adduce evidence before the rent tribunal. The court deemed it appropriate to direct the rent tribunal to decide the application expeditiously, granting only one opportunity to the respondent to adduce evidence.

Issues: The issues revolved around the respondent's failure to adduce evidence before the rent tribunal due to being in custody, and the legality of the appellate rent tribunal's decision to allow the appeal and remand the matter to the rent tribunal.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that every person has the right to prove their case before any court and should be given sufficient opportunity for adducing evidence. The court also emphasized the expeditious decision-making by the rent tribunal and limited the opportunities for the respondent to adduce evidence.

Final Decision: The writ petition was dismissed, and the rent tribunal was directed to decide the respondent's application expeditiously, granting only one opportunity to adduce evidence. Unnecessary adjournments were prohibited, and the stay petition was also dismissed.

JUDGMENT

Vijay Bishnoi, J. - This writ petition has been filed on behalf of the petitioner being aggrieved with the judgment dated 24.03.2021 passed by the appellate Rent Tribunal, Bikaner (hereinafter to be referred as 'the appellate rent tribunal') in appeal No.207/2015 (CIS No.230/2015), whereby it has allowed the appeal filed on behalf of the respondent while setting aside the judgment and decree dated 24.04.2015 passed by the Rent Tribunal, Bikaner (hereinafter to be referred as 'the rent tribunal') in Civil Original Case No.42/2013, whereby the rent tribunal has dismissed the application filed by the respondent under Section 18 of the Rajasthan Rent Control act, 2001 (hereinafter to be referred as 'the act of 2001').

2. Brief facts of the case are that the respondent filed an application against the petitioner under Section 18 of the act of 2001 before the rent tribunal with a prayer to restrain the petitioner from dispossessing him from the property in question without following due process of law. Pursuant to the summons issued by the rent tribunal, the petitioner appeared before it and filed reply to the above application of the respondent. Thereafter, the respondent and his other witnesses filed affidavits in evidence and the matter was fixed for their cross-examination.

3. From the perusal of the order-sheets of the rent tribunal, it appears that when the respondent and his other witnesses failed to appear before the rent tribunal for the purpose of cross-examination, then vide order dated 05.01.2015 the rent tribunal ultimately closed their opportunity of adducing the evidence and proceeded further in the matter. at this stage, the petitioner stated before the rent tribunal that she is also not going to adduce any evidence in support of her reply to the application of the respondent. Ultimately, the rent tribunal vide judgment dated 24.04.2015 dismissed the application filed by the respondent.

4. Being aggrieved with the order dated 24.04.2015 passed by the rent tribunal, the respondent preferred an appeal before the appellate rent tribunal while stating that he was in police as well as in judicial custody from 02.06.2014 to 13.02.2015, therefore, failed to adduce evidence before the rent tribunal and to make himself and his witnesses present for the purpose of cross-examination.

5. Taking into consideration the above fact, the appellate rent tribunal vide judgment dated 24.03.2021 has allowed the appeal of the respondent and set aside the judgment and decree dated 24.04.2015 passed by the rent tribunal while remanding the matter to it with a direction to grant one last opportunity to the respondent to adduce his evidence in support of his application.

6. Learned counsel for the petitioner has argued that vide impugned judgment dated 24.03.2021, the appellate rent tribunal has grossly erred in allowing the appeal preferred on behalf of the respondent and also erred in setting aside the judgment dated 24.04.2015 passed by the rent tribunal. It is argued that as per the respondent's own contention, he was released from jail on 13.02.2015 but after that he has not moved any application before the rent tribunal for granting him any opportunity to adduce his evidence though after 13.02.2015, the matter was fixed on 04.03.2015 and 22.04.2015.

7. Learned counsel for the petitioner has argued that in the above facts and circumstances of the case, it is clear that the respondent had deliberately not adduced his evidence before the rent tribunal and as such the rent tribunal has not committed any illegality in passing the judgment and decree dated 24.04.2015 but the appellate rent tribunal has committed illegality in interfering in the matter vide judgment dated 24.03.2021 and, therefore, the judgment dated 24.03.2021 passed by the appellate rent tribunal is liable to be set aside.

8. Per contra, learned counsel for the respondent has argued that the appellate rent tribunal has not committed any illegality in passing the impugned ju

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