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1981 Supreme(P&H) 178

PUNJAB & HARYANA HIGH COURT
Gokal Chand Mital, J.
M/s Uttam Chand Inderjit Singh
Versus
Ram Gopal Kalia
C.R. No. 663 of 1981,
Decided On : AUGUST 6, 1981

Headnote:

EAST PUNJAB URBAN RENT RESTRICTION ACT, 1949 - SECTION 13(2)(I) - SECTION 15(5) - CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE, 1908 - ORDER IX RULE 13 - SUO MOTU REVISION - EX PARTE EJECTMENT ORDER - VALIDITY OF TENDER - FRAUD - RESTITUTION OF POSSESSION.

Fact of the Case:

Tenant paid rent upto March, 1974. Landlord filed ejectment application on 5th November, 1974 alleging non-payment of rent from 7th March, 1974 to 6th November, 1974. Tenant tendered rent from April to October, 1974 on first date of hearing. Rent Controller passed ex parte ejectment order on 1st April, 1975. Tenant filed application to set aside ex parte order which was dismissed. Tenant filed revision petition. Landlord received rent for November and December, 1974 and January, 1975 after passing of ejectment order.

Finding of the Court:

1. Tender made by tenant was valid as rent for November, 1974 was not due on date of filing of ejectment application. 2. Landlord committed fraud by obtaining ex parte ejectment order and continuing to mislead tenant till 7th June, 1975. 3. Ex parte ejectment order was vitiated due to fraud and was liable to be set aside.

Issues: 1. Whether the tender made by the tenant was valid? 2. Whether the landlord committed fraud in obtaining the ex parte ejectment order? 3. Whether the ex parte ejectment order was vitiated due to fraud?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. Under Section 13(2)(i) of the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949, if the tenant pays or tenders arrears of rent due on the first date of hearing, no order of ejectment is to be passed. 2. Fraud vitiates agreements, contracts and even the orders of Courts. 3. Where the landlord commits fraud in obtaining an ex parte ejectment order, the order is vitiated and liable to be set aside.

Final Decision: 1. Revision petition allowed. 2. Ex parte ejectment order set aside. 3. Application under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code of Civil Procedure allowed. 4. Landlord directed to restore possession of the premises to the tenant within three months.

Judgment

Gokal Chand Mital, J.

1. After hearing the learned counsel for the parties at length and on perusal of the record of the executing court as also of the Rent Controller, who passed ex-parte ejectment order against the petitioner I am of the opinion that it is a fit case in which suo motu power of revision deserves to be exercised in the ends of justice. section 15(5) of the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949 (hereinafter called the Act) empowers this Court to revise an order of ejectment passed under the Act, after examining the records. When the case was initially heard at motion hearing on 11th March, 1981, even at that time it appeared to me that the order of ejectment passed against the petitioner might be erroneous and that is why not only the records of the proceedings for setting aside the ex-parte ejectment order were sent for but the record of the Rent Controller who passed the ejectment order was also sent for. On 23rd of April, 1981 both the parties were represented before me and the case was adjourned to await the records. Finally, the case was taken up on 23rd of July, 1981, and after the parties were heard at length, I decided to issue notice to the respondent. Accordingly, Shri J.S. Wasu, appearing for the respondent accepted the same and stated that he was ready with all arguments to justify the maintenance of the ejectment order dated 1st of April, 1975. I was prepared to grant adjournment to counsel for both the parties to assist me in this matter but counsel for both the parties frankly stated at the bar that they were fully prepared with the case and did not want an adjournment and requested that the case be heard and decided. Accordingly, I proceeded to hear the counsel for the parties at full length both in the revision whcih has been filed against the order of the Rent Controller refusing to set aside the ex-parte ejectment order as also in the suo motu revision against the order of ejectment and after hearing them fully reserved the judgment.

2. After the judgment was kept reserved, on 3rd August, 1981, CM No. 2763-C-II of 1981 was filed by Raj Kumar Kapur under Order 1, Rule 10 of the Code of Civil procedure (hereinafter called the Code), for impleading him as a respondent and for giving human opportunity to argue the case as he was the newly inducted tenants a part of the premises in dispute and had come in possession of that part of 7th March, 1981 during the pendency of the revision petition in this Court under the same landlord on 4th of August, 1981, notice of the application was issued to the counsel for the original tenant for 6th of August, 1981, and the counsel for the applicant was told to be ready with the arguments in the main civil revision as also in the sue motu revision and it was ordered that the same be posed for rehearing for 6th August 1981. That is now the matter was fixed for today.

3. After hearing the parties, Civil Misc. application, filed by RaJ Kumar Kapoor is allowed in the interest of justice and he is ordered to be completed as a respondent in the revision petition. The counsel for Raj Kumar Kapoor was prepared with the arguments under orders of this Court dated 4th of August 1981 and after hearing him as well I am of the view that the revision as also the suo motu revision deserve to be allowed.

4. Ram Gopal Kalia filed an application for ejectment under section 13 of the Act against M/s Uttam Singh Inderjit Singh on 5th November, 1974 in the Court of Rent Controller, Amritsar, from a shop solely on the ground that the tenant had neither paid nor tendered the rent due from the tenant from 7th March, 1974, to 5th of November, 1974, and the rent was stated to be Rs. 225 per month vide rent note dated 30th of August, 1971, under which tenancy started on 7th of August, 1971. On the first date of hearing, which was on 19th of November, 1974, the tenant-firm paid Rs. 1,575/- as seven months rent from 1st of April 1974 to 31st of October, 1974, besides paying Rs






































































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