Rajasthan High Court
Modi, J.
Rampal - Appellant
Versus
Manager, Sasta Sahitya Press Ltd. - Respondents
S.B. Civil Misc. Appeal No. 90 of 1972
Decided On : July 03, 1973
Under sub-sec. (4) the tenant is required to deposit the arrears of rent as specified therein either on the first day of hearing or on or before such date as the court may on an application made to it fix in this behalf or within such time not exceeding two months as may be extended by the court. In other words, the tenant must deposit all arrears of rent with interest thereon on the first day of hearing or he must make an application to the court on the first day of hearing for fixing time to deposit arrears of rent. The court is not bound to fix time on such application. But in case it exercises its discretion in favour of the tenant and fixes time within which the tenant is allowed to deposit the arrears of rent, the time so fixed or subsequently extended by the court must not exceed two months from the first day of hearing.
Held = There is no substance in the contention that an application to they court for fixing itme to deposit arrears of rent can be made even after the first day of hearing and if the court fixes a date on such application even after the expiry of two months from the first day of hearing, such an order will be in conformity with the provisions of sub-sec. (4) of sec. 10 of the Act.
Held = The court is not bound to fix any time on the application made to it for depositing arrears of rent. It may or may not fix time or grant time for depositing arrears of rent. Further, the court is not competent, under any circumstances, to enlarge the time specified under sub-sec. (4) of sec. 13. If the court fixes any time for depositing arrears of rent, the period so fixed or later on extended can, in no case, exceed beyond two months reckoned from the first day of hearing. It is true that the amount of arrears was deposited within the time fixed by the court, but that is of no consequence, for the court had no power to fix time after the expiry of two months from the first day of hearing. Since the defendants in the present case had failed to deposit arrears of rent with interest thereon on the date or within the time specified in sub-sec. (4) of sec. 13, there was no discretion left with the trial court except to order striking out the defence against eviction under sec. 13(6). (Paras 5 and 8)
2. The facts relevant for the purpose of deciding this appeal are as follows:
Plaintiff Rampal and his two brothers are the owners of the property situate on Katchery Road, Ajmer and the Manager, Sasta Sahitya Press Ltd. and the Managing Director, Hind Sahitya Ltd., hereinafter called as defendants Nos. 1 & 2 respectively, are the tenants of the said property. The monthly rent of the property is Rs. 200/-. The tenancy is monthly in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The present suit was instituted on 13 4-67 for the recovery of the arrears of rent amounting to Rs. 4300/-and for eviction inter alia on the ground that the defendants neither paid nor tendered the amount of rent due for more than six months. Summonses for settlement of issues were sent for service on the defendants for 4-7-67. On the latter date both the defendants were deemed to be served. Defendant No. 1 was present but defendant No. 2 did not put in appearance. The court ordered to proceed ex parte against defendant No. 2 and granted adjournment to defendant No. 1 to file written statement. The case was adjourned on 20-7 67 and 27-7-67 for filing written statement by defendant No. 1. Written statement was filed by defendant No. 1 on 7-8-67 and the case was adjourned to 8 9 67 for framing of issues. On 8-9-67 an application was moved by the plaintiff under O. 6, R. 17 and sec. 151 CPC for amendment of the plaint as it was thought that the description of defendant No. 2 in the title of the plaint was wrongly made. In fact there was no mistake in the description of the defendant No. 2 in the title of the plaint but the description of defendant No. 2 in the summons issued to defendant No. 2 for 4-7 67 was incorrect. The court therefore ordered issue of fresh summons for 18-10-67 in the name of defendant No. 2 for settlement of issues. On the same day, that is, 8-9 67, defendant No. 1 moved an application under sec. 18(4) of the Rajasthan Premises (Control of Rent and Eviction) Act, 1950, hereinafter called the Act, praying that two months time be allowed to deposit the amount of arrears of rent. The court fixed 18-10-67 Tor hearing of the arguments on this application and further ordered that a reply to the application be filed by the plaintiff in the meanwhile if they so desire. Defendant No. 2 was served for the heating dated 9-12-67. On the latter date, defendant No. 2 was absent, but Mr. R. K. Bhargava, the learned advocate for the defendant No. 1, undertook to file power on behalf of the defendant No. 2. The case was then adjourned to 16-1-68 for filing written statement and power on behalf of defendant No. 2 and also for arguments on the application dated 8-9-67 made under sec. 13(4) of the Act. On 16-1-68 Mr. R. K. Bhargava neither filed power nor written statement on behalf of defendant No. 2. He, however, stated that it was not necessary to file power on behalf of defendant No. 2 as the vakalatnama signed by Mr. Pavan Pathak on behalf of defendant No. 1 had already been filed by him and Mr. Pavan Pathak was also the Managing Director, Hindi Sahitya Ltd., that is, defendant No. 2. Mr. Bhargava also adopted on behalf of defendant No. 2, the written statement filed by defendant No. 1. The case then came up before the trial court on 24-5 68 on which date the arguments on the application dated 8-9-67 under sec. 13(4) of the Act were heard and defendant No. 1 was directed to deposit arrears of rent together with interest by 10-7 68 and future rent by 15th of every month. On that very day, the court framed issues and adjourned the case to 13-8-63 for the plaintiff evidence. On
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