HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
N.L.Ganguly
KRIPA SHANKER SINHA
Versus
STATE OF U P
Decided On : 08 January 1995
Civil Misc. W. P. No. 13044 of 1984
LANDLORD-TENANT - U. P. URBAN BUILDINGS (REGULATION OF LETTING, RENT AND EVICTION) ACT, 1972 - SECTION 21(1) - EXPLANATION III - VALIDITY - RETROSPECTIVE EFFECT - ARTICLE 14 OF THE CONSTITUTION - APPLICABILITY TO SERVING OR RETIRED INDIAN SOLDIERS - NEED OF LANDLORD - BONA FIDE AND GENUINE - COMPARATIVE HARDSHIP - REJECTION OF TENANT'S APPEAL - WRIT PETITION DISMISSED.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner, a tenant, challenged the validity of Explanation III to Section 21(1) of the U. P. Urban Buildings (Regulation of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972, arguing that it was ultra vires the Constitution and that the judgment and orders passed by the Prescribed Authority and the District Judge were erroneous. The landlord, a serving Warrant Officer in the Air Force, had sought release of the premises for the residence of his wife and son, claiming that he had a genuine need for the accommodation.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the Explanation III to Section 21(1) of the Act was not ultra vires the Constitution and that it was validly enacted. The court also held that the Explanation III had retrospective effect and was applicable to the case at hand, as the appeal was decided after the Ordinance introducing the Amendment came into force. The court further held that the landlord had proved his bona fide and genuine need for the accommodation and that the comparative hardship test did not apply in this case, as the Explanation III deemed the landlord's need to be sufficient. The court rejected the tenant's appeal and dismissed the writ petition.
Issues: 1. Whether Explanation III to Section 21(1) of the U. P. Urban Buildings (Regulation of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972 is ultra vires the Constitution? 2. Whether Explanation III has retrospective effect? 3. Whether the landlord has proved his bona fide and genuine need for the accommodation? 4. Whether the comparative hardship test applies in this case?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. Explanation III to Section 21(1) of the Act is not ultra vires the Constitution, as it is a reasonable classification that does not violate Article 14. 2. Explanation III has retrospective effect, as it was in force at the time the appeal was decided. 3. The landlord has proved his bona fide and genuine need for the accommodation, as he is a serving Warrant Officer in the Air Force and the accommodation was let out to the petitioner prior to his retirement. 4. The comparative hardship test does not apply in this case, as Explanation III deems the landlord's need to be sufficient.
Final Decision: The writ petition was dismissed with costs.
2. Premises No. D/113 Mohalia Midhi, Baliia is owned by the respon dent No. 4 as owner and landlord and the petitioner was a tenant. An application was filed on 27-3-1978 by the respondent No. 4 that he is a Warrant Officer in Air Force posted at Delhi and his son is studying at Ballia. He required the premises in dispute for residence of his son and wife. The respondent had said that the accommodation in question fell in his share in the family partition. He needed the house in question for residence of his family members, wife and son who lived at Ballia. The respondent stated that he being a Warrant Officer, cannot keep his family along with him at all places. He has no other place for residence of his son and wife. The res pondent pleaded that the tenant-petitioner are resident of Suremanpur where he has a house and his sons lived there, engaged in agricultural and cultiva tion. The petitioner was said to have retired from service and there was no necessity for him to stay in the City of Ballia. The landlords application for release was contested by the petitioner. He had denied that there was any partition between the landlord and his brother. He also said that the accom modation in tenance of the petitioner had not come in the share of the respon dents landlord. As such he was not the landlord in the eye of law. The house in question was a property of opposite party No. 4s father Shri Brij Nath Sahai, who used to realise the rent from the petitioner. The petitioner alto stated that the landlords wife does not stay with her son at Ballia but she lives with the respondent No. 4 at Delhi. It was also said that the respondents son lives as a member of the joint family with his lather. The need for release of the house was incorrect. The landlord has no genuine need for the accommodation in question. The petitioner also said that his ancestral house at Suremanpur fell down in the floods of 1955 and he has no other place to live. The Prescribed Authority after examining the oral evi dence and affidavit of Sri Brij Nath Sahai, father of the respondent No. 4 re corded a finding to the effect that he is the landlord of the said accommodation qua petitioner. The Prescribed Authority relied on Section 21 (1) of Explana tion III of the U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 and held that the respondent No. 4s son was studying at Ballia, and
respondent No. 4s wife also lived at Ballia. He found that the need of the landlord was bona fide and genuine. The respondent No. 4 in his affidavit at Para 9 stated that the tenant has a house at Adarsh Nagar Mauja Gangapur. The details of the boundary of the said house was also stated in the affidavit. The petitioner had not denied the said fact. In Para 11 of his affidavit, Sri Kripa Shanker Sinha petitioner had only said that he was not living at Suremanpur. He has not denied that he has not built a house at Gangapur. Admittedly, the tenant-petitioner has retired from the service. There was no necessity of his living in the City at Ballia.
3. The Prescribed Authority found that the need of the landlord was genuine and bona fide and unless the release application was allowed, the landlord shall suffer irreparably and there would be greater hardship to him in that event. The release application was allowed by the Prescribed Autho rity against which an appeal was filed by the petitioner before the District Judge.
4. It has to be noted that earlier the appeal was decided by the then District Judge,
Login now and unlock free premium legal research
Login to SupremeToday AI and access free legal analysis, AI highlights, and smart tools.
Login
now!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
Copyright © 2023 Vikas Info Solution Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.