IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
J. C. GUPTA
KAILASH CHANDRA - Appellant
Versus
IIIRD ADDITIONAL JUDGE - Respondents
C. M. W. P. 6505 Of 1980
Decided On : 08/24/1998
RENT CONTROL - U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 - Section 20 (4) - Deposit of rent - Adjustment of rent deposited under Section 30 (2) - Not permissible - Time barred rent - Deposit - Necessary - Sub-letting - Presumption - Section 25 of the Provincial Small Cause Courts Act - Revisional Court - Powers - Scope.
Fact of the Case:
Suit for eviction of the tenants from the shop in question was filed on the grounds of default in payment of rent and sub-letting. The trial Court dismissed the suit for eviction. The revisional Court allowed the revision and decreed the suit.
Finding of the Court:
The revisional Court has rightly held that the defendants petition were not entitled to the protection embodied in Section 20 (4) of the Act. The revisional Court on the undisputed facts came to the conclusion that the deposit made under Section 30 (2) of the Act was not valid as there was no bona fide doubt or dispute regarding the relationship of landlord and tenant between the parties. The intention of the Legislature thus appears to provide benefit to the tenant of the deposits made under Section 30 (1) of the Act and not to the rent deposited under sub-section (2) of Section 30 of the Act. Even if the rent deposited under Section 30 (2) of the Act by the tenant petitioner is adjusted towards the amount required to be deposited under Section 20 (4) of the Act, it would be further be found that the rent which was not claimed in the plaint as having become barred by time was not deposited by the petitioner. The trial Court while extending the benefit of the provisions of Section 20 (4) of the Act to the tenant petitioner proceeded on the assumption that the petitioner was liable to deposit under Section 20 (4) of the Act only that rent as was claimed by the plaintiff in the suit totally ignoring the undisputed position that the rent for the period from 1-6-1971 to 14-12-1973 was neither paid to the plaintiff nor deposited under Section 20 (4) of the Act. This approach of the trial Court was based on an erroneous impression of the legal position because under Section 20 (4) of the Act, it is obligatory upon the tenant even to deposit a time barred rent before asking for relieving him from a decree of eviction. The revisional Court has merely corrected the said mistake committed by the trial Court. It is not a case where the finding has been reversed on reappraisal of evidence but the right and only logical conclusion deducible from the undisputed facts has been arrived at by the revisional Court which was within its competence.
Issues: 1. Whether the deposit made under Section 30 (2) of the Act can be adjusted while making compliance of the requirements contemplated under sub-section (4) of Section 20 of the Act? 2. Whether the tenant is entitled to claim benefit of the protection under Section 20 (4) of the Act without depositing the time barred rent?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. No, the deposit made under Section 30 (2) of the Act cannot be adjusted while making compliance of the requirements contemplated under sub-section (4) of Section 20 of the Act as the provision makes reference only to adjustment of rent deposited under Section 30 (1) and not to deposits made under Section 30 (2) of the Act. 2. No, the tenant is not entitled to claim benefit of the protection under Section 20 (4) of the Act without depositing the time barred rent.
Final Decision: Writ petition dismissed with costs made easy.
( 1 ) THIS is tenants writ petition directed against the judgment and order dated 17-5-80 passed by respondent No. 1 in the revision filed by respondents Nos. 2 and 3 whereby revision was allowed and the judgment and decree dated 30-10-78 passed by the Judge, Small Cause Court in S. C. C. Suit No. 17/76 has been set aside and the suit for eviction of the petitioners from the shop in question has been decreed.
( 2 ) THE dispute relates to a shop detailed at the foot of the plaint filed by Respondents Nos. 2 and 3 against the petitioners. The suit was filed with the allegations that the defendants were defaulter in payment of rent and they had paid rent at the rate of Rs. 18. 00 per month up to 31-5-71 only and rent from 1-6-71 was not paid despite several demands, hence the plaintiff served the defendants with a notice of demand and eviction. After the expiry of the notice period the suit for the recovery of rent from 15-12-73 to 4-1-1975 amounting to Rs. 443. 50 p and for mesne profits from 5-1-75 till 15-12-76 amounting to Rs. 204. 50 P. was filed as rent before 15-12-73 had become time barred. It was further alleged that the defendant No. 1 had sublet the shop to defendants Nos. 2 and 3. Therefore, in short the decree for eviction was sought on the grounds of default in payment of rent and sub-letting. The suit was contested by the defendants and it was pleadedthat the shop was let out by Smt. Gaura Devi in favour of defendants Nos. 1 and 2 jointly on 31-3-71 and receipts were issued in the name of Baldev Prasad who retired from the partnership and defendants Nos. 2 and 3 continued the business in the name of firm Govind Kailash Chandra. In original suit No. 210/74 - Kailash Chandra v. Mukundi Lal it was held that the contesting defendants were tenants and, therefore, the present suit was barred by the principle of res judicata. The defendants have deposited Rs. 1510. 00 in Misc. Case No. 594. The trial Court framed a number of issues and it would be suffice to mention only those issues, the decision thereon has been challenged in this writ petition.
( 3 ) ON the issue of default in payment of rent, the trial Court came to the conclusion that the defendants committed default. However, the decree of eviction was refused on the ground that the defendants have complied with the provisions of Section 20 (4) of the U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 by depositing the required amount. On the issue of sub-letting the trial Court recorded a finding that it has not been proved that the shop in question has been sub-let to defendants Nos. 2 and 3. On the question of res judicata the issue had been decided in favour of the plaintiff. The notice was also held to be valid. With these findings the trial Court dismissed the plaintiffs suit for eviction. Aggrieved by the said judgment, the respondents Nos. 2 and 3 preferred revision which came up for hearing before the respondent No. 1. The revisional Court came to the conclusion that the defendants were liable to eviction on the ground of denial of title of the plaintiffs. On the question of default in payment of rent, the revisional Court agreed with the view of the trial Court that the defendants were defaulter. However, while deciding the question whether the benefit of Section 20 (4) of the Act could be extended to the defendants, the revisional Court took the view that since the amount deposited under Section 30 (2) of the Act was not a valid deposit, the said amount could not be adjusted while considering the question of deposit made under Section 20 (4) of the Act. It further came to the conclusion that since the tenant has not deposited the time barred rent under Section 20 (4) along with interest, he was not entitled to be relieved from the decree of eviction. The revisional Court further held that sub-letting has been proved by the own admission of the defendants as it was admitted by them that Badri Prasad to whom the shop was let out has left six or seven years before as s
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