SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

1998 Supreme(Raj) 92

Rajasthan High Court
Honble N.L. TIBREWAL, Honble B.S. CHAUHAN & Honble BHAGWATI PRASAD, JJ.
Kailash Chandra - Appellant
Versus
Sri Kishan - Respondents
D.B. Civil Reference No. 13 of 1997
Decided On : January 28, 1998

Advocates Appeared:
N.P. Gupta Amicus Curiae G.R. Singhvi, for Petitioner R.M. Bhansali, for Non-petitioner B.M. Bhojak, D.C. Sharma, S.D. Vyas, R.R. Nagori, A.L. Chopra & R.K. Soni etc. etc. Advocates

Headnote:(a) Rajasthan Premises (Control of Rent & Eviction) Act, 1950 – Section 13 (1) (a) – Rent due for six months – Nor paid and nor tendered – Court to determine rent provisionally under sub-section (3) – If the tenant deposits these arrears then no decree will be passed against him, as it being the first chance of default. (Para 22)(b) Rajasthan Premises (Control of Rent & Eviction) Act, 1950 – Section 13(1) (a) and (3) – Determination of rent is only a device to get the tenant an opportunity to update his payments – There is no ambiguity in the lamguage of these provisions – Provision to Sub-section (6) of Section 13 uses the word `again which makes the meaning clear which is as regards to second similar default. (Para 28)(c) Civil Procedure Code – Section 113 – Reference replied in affirmative.

       To decide this controversy the words used in Section 13(3) are to be looked into. Section 13(3) has used the term ``in a suit for eviction on the grounds set forth in clause (a) of sub-section (1), the court shall on the first date of hearing after hearing the parties and on the basis of the material on the record provisionally determine the amount of rent for which the tenant may have made default. The relevant extracts of sub-section (3) thus, when read does not creat any doubt or suspicion that the legislature has intended to anything beyond what the plain meaning of these words communicate. (Para 22)

       The matter can be viewsed from yet another angle also. A tenant could have taken benefit under Section 13A once, that may be before determination of the provisional rent in that suit. Under such circumstances also he is barred from taking any advantage under sub-section (6) of Section 13 by making deposit. Thus, in a suit in which the determination was not made at some stage the benefit was taken by the tenant under Section 13A then too that tenant will not be able to take benefit again in a suit on default, though it may be seen that in that suit, the determination will be for the first time. Thus, the benefit is independent of determination. They are not interlinked. The benefit is provided under the Act for the tenant to establish his bona fides and get established himself as a tenant who is ``ready and willing to pay rent. (Para 28)

       The question referred to this Bench is answered accordingly and it is held that as and when a suit, first or subsequent, is filed, the court seized of the suit is required to determine the provisional rent as provided under Section 13(3) of the Act.(Para 32)

Honble PRASAD, J. – The Court of Additional District Judge No. 1., Jodhpur made the instant reference to this Court under Section 113 of the Code of Civil Procedure (referred to hereinafter as `C.P.C.) and Order 46 Rule 1 C.P.C. as the said court was seized of a Misc. Appeal in which the following question was involved :–

``Whether, in a suit for eviction under S. 13 (1) (a) of Rajasthan Premises (Control of Rent and Eviction) Act, 1950, hereinafter referred as Rent Act). on the ground of alleged second default, if it is expected from the trial court, to provisionally determine the rent as per provisions of S. 13 (1) of the Rent Act.

(2). While making the aforesaid reference, the Court of Additional District Judge took into consideration various judgment of this Court i.e. Hanuman Prasad vs. Gaindi Lal (1), wherein a learned Single Judge observed as under :–

``It may be pointed out that sub-sec. (4) and (5) have been introduced for the benefit of the tenant so that in case of first default he may pro- tect himself against ejectment by making the required deposit or payment as provided therein. But in case of a tenant who has committed a second default, as mentioned in the proviso to sub-sec. (7) no such benefit is available. It is a principle of jurisprudence that rights and liabilities are co- relative. Consequently if a certain provi- sion of law provides a benefit to a class of persons on performance of the act mentioned therein the penalty prescribed for non performance of the act cannot be meted out to a person who cannot avail of the benefit of those provision. It would, thus be ingengruous to say that even though the defendant cannot save himself from ejectment by making the deposit or payment under sub-sec. (4) or sub-sec. (5) of Sec. 13 of the Act, yet he is liable to have his defence struck out on account of non compliance of the same. It appears to me therefore that sub-sec. (6) of Sec. 13 cannot be pressed into service against a tenant to whom the benefit under sub-sec. (7) is not available. Since the case of the defendant falls under the proviso to sub-sec. (7), the penalty provided under sub-sec. (6) of striking out the defence cannot be meted out to him.

(3). In this regard, the second case considered by the said court was in the matter of Hanspuri vs. Bhanwar Lal (2), wherein this Court observed as under :–

``The exercise of determination of the rent under section 13(3) in such a second suit would be futile inasmuch as the proviso to sub-sec. (6) of section 13 wherein provides that the tenant will not be entitled to the relief under sub-section (6) if he has already taken advantages of it in a previous suit.

(4). The said court also considered the judgment in Ram Lal & Anr. vs. Goverdhan Lal (3), wherein this Court held as under :–

``This scheme of section 13 of the Act clearly provides for determination of rent under section 13(3) of the Act, when the suit is on theground of default in payment of rent with or without any other grounds.

This order under sub-section (3) of Section 13 is to be passed either on the first date of hearing or not more than three months after the filing of the written statement and in any case before the framing of the issues. In other words such an order is to be passed as early as possible after the service of summons on the defendants. This deter- mination is not subject to the proviso to sub-section (6) of Section 13. In other words whether the tenant would be able to get protection of sub-section (6 ) of section 13, or not, is not to be looked into at the stage of determining that under sub-section (3) of section 13, the determination of rent under section 13(3) of the Act and payment of the same would not by itself entitle the tenant to protection against eviction. The availability of protection to him would depend upon other conditions. Thus determining the amount under Section 13(3) of the Act and allowing the tenant to deposit the same would not confer any right on him which would en














































Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top