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1999 Supreme(J&K) 164

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR AT Jammu
O.P. Sharma, J.
Union Of India - Appellant
Versus
Lalit Kumar Raina - Respondent
CSA No. 3/1996
Decided On : 28 May, 1999

Advocates Appeared:
Advocate For Appellant: D.P. Gupta
Advocate For Respondent: S.K. Anand

A composite notice under Section 80 CPC and Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act is valid and satisfies the requirements of law in a suit for eviction, provided it clearly informs the defendant of the nature of the suit, the relief sought, and the date of termination of tenancy.

Headnote:

EVICTION SUIT - NOTICE UNDER SECTION 80 CPC AND SECTION 106 TRANSFER OF PROPERTY ACT - VALIDITY - COMPOSITE NOTICE - REQUIREMENTS - INTERPRETATION - EFFECT ON SUIT - FACTUAL ANALYSIS.

Fact of the Case:

In a suit for eviction against the Union of India, a composite notice under Section 80 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) and Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act was served on the appellant, who was a tenant in a leased property. The notice called upon the appellant to vacate the premises by the date of expiry of the tenancy, which was 28th February 1990.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the composite notice under Section 80 CPC and Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act was valid and satisfied the requirements of law. The court relied on its previous decisions in Assistant Director I.B. (MHA) Govt. of India & ors Vs. Shrimati Rani Fotedar & anr and Union of India Vs. Bansi Lal Cherwoo, which held that a composite notice determining the tenancy from a future date and calling upon the defendants to handover vacant possession on the said date is perfectly valid.

Issues: 1. Whether a composite notice under Section 80 CPC and Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act meets the requirements of law in a suit for eviction against the Union of India? 2. Whether the notice given by the plaintiff to the defendant on January 17, 1990, to evict the rented premises by or before February 28, 1990, satisfies the mandate of Section 80 CPC and Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act?

Ratio Decidendi: The court reasoned that the purpose of a notice under Section 80 CPC is to inform the defendant of the suit intended to be filed and the relief sought to be claimed. In this case, the notice clearly stated that the fixed term tenancy was to expire on 28th February 1990 and the vacant possession be handed over on the expiry of the tenancy. The notice also determined the tenancy under Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act. Therefore, the defendant was informed of the action proposed to be initiated in the event of their failure to deliver the vacant possession of the premises.

Final Decision: The court dismissed the appeal and upheld the validity of the composite notice. However, the court granted the appellant six months to make alternate arrangements, provided the arrears of rent were liquidated within two months.

1. In this civil 2nd appeal against the judgment and decree dated 20/11/1995 passed by the learned District Judge, Jammu following questions of law have been formulated for determination:-

1. Whether in a suit for eviction against the union of India, a composite notice under section 80 of C.P.C. and Section 106 of Transfer of Property Act will meet the requirements of law?

2. If the answer to the first question is in the affirmative. Whether in the facts and circumstances of the present case, notice given by the plaintiff to the defendant on January, 17, 1990, to evict the rented premises by or before February, 28, 1990 satisfy the mandate of Section 80 of the C.P.C. and Section 106 of Transfer of property Act.

2. The admitted facts of the case are that the demised premises were leased out to the appellant on 01-03-1984 initially for a period of only three years. The lease was extended for a further period of three years. It was to expire on 28-02-1990. The landlord by a notice dated January 17, 1990, called upon the appellant to vacate the premises by 28th Feb. 1990 i.e. the date tenancy was to expire by afflux of time. One of the issues framed by the trial court was with regard to the validity of the notice. It reads as follows:

Whether the notice sent by the plaintiff is not valid. If so what is the effect on the suit ? OPD

3. Although the issue is not happily worded but it being an issue of law, the onus is immaterial. The trial court as also the first appellate court have held the notice valid and decreed the suit.

4. The questions have been formulated by the Bench admitting the appeal without questioning correctness of the decision of this court in ˜Assistant Director I.B. (MHA) Govt. of India & ors Vs. Shrimati Rani Fotedar & anr™, 1977 JKLR (Vol. VIII) 65; and ˜Union of India Vs. Bansi Lal Cherwoo™, 1986 JKLR 522. In the case of Rani Fotedar (supra), Kotwal-J (as his lordship then was) dealing with a similar issue held as follows:-

Cause of action is a compendious term for describing all those facts which a plaintiff is required to prove for succeeding in his suit and the object of stating these facts in a notice under Section 80 of the Code of Civil Procedure is only to apprise the defendant of the nature of the intended suit as also the relief sought to be claimed therein, so that the defendant gets a fair chance of considering the merits of the plaintiff™s case and thereafter deciding whether or not to resist the proposed suit in a court of law. Understood in this perspective cause of action would mean not only the cause of action which has accrued on the date the notice is sent or delivered but also a cause of action which might accrue at any time after such date but before the suit is actually filed. The composite notice under section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act and 80 Civil Procedure Code determining the tenancy from a future date and calling upon the defendants to handover the vacant possession of the leasehold on the said date, is perfectly valid and a suit for ejectment on the basis of such a notice will also be competent provided it is brought two months next after the notice has been delivered to or left at the office of the defendants.

5. This decision has been followed in the case of Bansi Lal Cherwoo (supra) decided by the Lord Chief Justice Dr. A.S. Anand (Now Chief Justice of India). Reliance was also placed on the decision of High Court of Rajasthan by observing as under:-

In Rawat Hardoo Singh Vs. State of Rajasthan AIR 1081 Rajasthan 280, the validity of a composite notice under section 106 T.P. Act and Section 80 C.P.C served before the termination of tenancy, which got determined during the period of the notice, came up for consideration and it was held:-

A combined notice under Section 106 of T.P. Act and under Section 80 Civil P.C. is valid. The purpose of a notice under Section 80 is to inform the defendant of the suit intended to be filed and the relief sought to be claimed. Once it is broug








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