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1999 Supreme(All) 1970

HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
S.Rafat Alam
ANWARUDDIN
Versus
IST ADDL DISTRICT JUDGE ALIGARH
Decided On : 21 December 1999
Civil Misc. W. P No. 1259 of 1986

Advocates Appeared:
S.A.Shah,

The revisional court has the jurisdiction to interfere with the finding of fact by the trial court if it is perverse or based on a wrong appreciation of evidence.

Headnote:

LANDLORD AND TENANT - U. P. URBAN BUILDINGS (REGULATION OF LETTING, RENT AND EVICTION) ACT, 1972 - SECTION 20(4) - MATERIAL ALTERATION - REVISION - SCOPE OF INTERFERENCE - DEFAULT IN PAYMENT OF RENT - ADMISSION BY TENANT - FINDING OF FACT - RE-APPRECIATION OF EVIDENCE - JURISDICTION OF REVISIONAL COURT.

Fact of the Case:

Tenant challenged the revisional court's decision allowing the landlord's revision and decreeing the suit for ejectment on the grounds of default in payment of rent and material alteration of the building. The tenant argued that the revisional court erred in re-appreciating the evidence and disturbing the finding of fact by the trial court.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the revisional court had the jurisdiction to interfere with the finding of fact by the trial court if it was perverse or based on a wrong appreciation of evidence. In this case, the revisional court was justified in interfering as the trial court had failed to consider the material alterations made by the tenant, which diminished the value and utility of the building.

Issues: 1. Whether the revisional court had the jurisdiction to re-appreciate the evidence and disturb the finding of fact by the trial court. 2. Whether the revisional court was justified in interfering with the finding of fact in this case.

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The revisional court has the jurisdiction to interfere with the finding of fact by the trial court if it is perverse or based on a wrong appreciation of evidence. 2. The revisional court was justified in interfering with the finding of fact in this case as the trial court had failed to consider the material alterations made by the tenant, which diminished the value and utility of the building.

Final Decision: The court dismissed the tenant's petition, upholding the revisional court's decision to allow the landlord's revision and decree the suit for ejectment.

S. RAFAT ALAIN, J.

This is tenants petition under Article 226 of the Constitu tion for quashing the judgment and order of the learned 1st Additional District Judge, Aligarh, dated 5-11-1985 allowing the revision of the landlord and decreeing the suit for ejectment.

2. The short and admitted facts of the case are that the accommodation in ques tion bearing House No. 5/28, Sarai Babu, Rasalganj,gali Laxmipuri, Aligarh was let out to the father of the petitioner tenant on a rent of Rs. 20/- per month. The respondent landlord filed a suit against the petitioners father for his ejectment as well as for recovery of arrears of rent and damages, inter alia, on the grounds that the tenant has committed default in payment of rent for the period from May, 1972 to 22-11-1976 and in spite of notice of demand, failed to pay the same nor vacated the premises; that the tenant has, without permission in writing of the landlord, made certain construction and material alteration in the building which has diminished its value and also disfigured it, and thus he is liable to be evicted under the provisions of U. P. Urban Buildings (Regulation of Letting, Rent and Evic tion) Act, 1972, (hereinafter referred to as Act No. 13 of 1972 ). The tenant filed writ ten statement and contested the suit alleg ing that he has not committed any default in payment of rent, inasmuch as arrears of rent has been deposited at the first hearing of the suit and, therefore, he is entitled to get protection under sub- section (4) of Section 20 of Act No. 13 of 1972. The allegation of material alteration without the consent of the landlord was also denied.

3. It appears that before the learned Judge, Small Cause Court, the landlord raised objection that the tenant is not entitled to protection under sub-section (4) of Section 20 of Act No. 13 of 1972 on the ground that his two sons have acquired residential accommodation in the same city. However, the learned Judge, Small Cause Court, having appreciated the evidence and the provisions of the Act, repelled the contention of the landlord that the tenant is not entitled to protection under sub-section (4) of Section 20 of Act No. 13 of 1972. On the question of material alteration, the learned Judge, Small Cause Court was of the view that the landlord failed to prove the alleged material altera tion made in the building, hence dismissed the suit with cost by his judgment and order dated 14-12-1977. The landlord being aggrieved with the aforesaid judg ment and order of the learned Judge, Small Cause Court, preferred Revision No. 7 of 1978 before the learned District Judge, Aligarh, which was allowed and the suit was decreed with cost throughout by the learned Ilnd Additional District Judge, Aligarh vide his judgment and order dated 24-4-1980. It appears that the revisional Court was of the view that since one of the sons of the defendant acquired a vacant house in the same municipality in the year 1974 after commencement of U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972, the defendant tenant cannot get protection of sub- section (4) of Section 20 of the Act No. 13 of 1972 in view of proviso of sub-section (4) which provides that sub-section (4) shall not apply in rela tion to a tenant who or any member of whose family has built or has otherwise acquired in a vacant state or has got va cated after acquisition any residential building in the same city, municipality, notified area or town area.

4. The learned revisional Court fur ther found from the record that monthly rent of October, 1977 was not deposited on due date, Le. , November, 1977 and the rent of October and November was deposited in December, 1977, but the learned Judge, Small Cause Court condoned the delay without there being any representation by the tenant defendant giving material ex planation in that behalf within ten days of the first hearing and, therefore, it did not exercise its discretion in a judicial manner. In that view of the matter the revisional Court was of the view that

















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