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2005 Supreme(All) 280

ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
Anjani Kumar, J.
Umardaraj
Versus
Furkan Ahmad
Civil Misc.Writ Petition 49785 of 2004
Decided On : 18 February 2005
Civil Misc. Writ Petition 49785 Of 2004

Advocates:
M.S.HAQUE, Siddhartha Varma,

The central legal point established in the judgment is the interpretation of the applicability of U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 and its influence on the eviction and recovery of rent in the landlord-tenant dispute.

Headnote:

tenant - suit for ejectment and arrears of rent - U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 - Section 2(2), Section 20(2) - Suresh Chand v. Gulam Chisti, 1982 (1) ARC 392 - Laxmi Kishore and Anr. v. Har Prasad Shukla, 1981 ARC 545

Fact of the Case:

The plaintiff-landlord filed a suit for ejectment and arrears of rent against the petitioner-tenant, claiming non-payment of rent and termination of tenancy. The trial Court dismissed the suit, but the revisional Court decreed the suit based on the interpretation of U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972.

Finding of the Court:

The revisional Court reversed the trial Court's findings, holding that the provisions of U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 were not applicable to the building in dispute, and thus, the tenant was liable to be evicted and the plaintiff was entitled to receive the amount of Rs. 150/- per month.

Issues: Applicability of U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972, non-payment of rent, termination of tenancy

Ratio Decidendi: The revisional Court's decision was influenced by the interpretation of U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972, specifically Section 2(2) and Section 20(2), as well as the precedents set in Suresh Chand v. Gulam Chisti and Laxmi Kishore and Anr. v. Har Prasad Shukla.

Final Decision: The judgment and order of the revisional Court were modified to remand the matter back to the trial Court for decision in accordance with the observations made in the order of the revisional Court and in accordance with the law.

ANJANI KUMAR, J.

( 1 ) THIS is a writ petition by the tenant against the judgment and order of the revisional Court dated 23rd September, 2004 whereby the revisional Court has allowed the revision filed by the landlord who was aggrieved by the order of the trial Court whereby the suit filed by the plaintiff-landlord was dismissed. The revisional Court by the order impugned has set aside the order passed by the trial Court and decreed the suit filed by the revisionist-landlord, respondent in this writ petition and the relief regarding recovery of arrears of rent and damages for occupation for the period before institution of the suit has been refused. It is also held by the revisional Court that the plaintiff would be entitled to recover the amount of damages for occupation from the petitioner-tenant for the period of institution of the suit till the decision of the suit property at the rate of Rs. 150/- per month.

( 2 ) THE plaintiff-landlord filed a suit for ejectment and arrears of rent against the petitioner-tenant on the allegation that the petitioner is the tenant of the accommodation in question on a rent of rs. 400/- per month and that his tenancy starts with 26th of the calender month and ends on 25th of the succeeding month. The defendant-tenant is further liable to pay water tax at the rate of 12% and house tax at the rate of 5-12%. The provisions of U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 (in short the act) are not applicable to the accommodation in question. The defendant had not paid rent since the month of June 1992. The tenancy of the petitioner-tenant had already been determined by the notice dated 14th April 1995 and in spite of notice being received the tenant had neither paid arrears of rent nor vacated the accommodation in question. The aforesaid claim of the landlord-respondent was denied by the petitioner-tenant wherein he has only admitted that the rent of the accommodation in question was Rs. 150/- per month plus tax and not Rs. 400/- as alleged by the landlord. It is wholly incorrect that he agreed Rs. 400/- as rent plus taxes. It is also denied by the tenant that provisions of U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 are not applicable and other pleas.

( 3 ) ON the pleadings of the parties and the evidence on the record the trial Court arrived at a conclusion that provisions of U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 are applicable and that the tenant had deposited rent upto 24th November, 1995 under Section 30 of the Act in Misc. Case No. 20 of 1995 in the Court of Munisf, Najeebabad, therefore, the statement that there is any arrears of rent is wholly incorrect and is denied, On the contrary it is alleged that since the plaintiff-landlord is demanding an arbitrary enhancement of rent that is why the suit has been filed which is based on incorrect facts. The trial Court by its order dated 1st March 2002 dismissed the suit filed by the plaintiff landlord. The landlord thereafter filed SCC Revision No. 22 of 2002. The revisional court has found that the findings arrived at by the trial Court regarding the applicability of the provisions of U. P. Act No. 13 of 1972 is based on non-consideration of material evidence and also consideration of evidence which was not admissible, namely, the municipal assessment relating to the year 1979 to 1986 has been relied upon that the constitution of the building with a shop in dispute situated in the year 1979. On the issue of rent and default in payment of rent the trial Court did not rely the rent deed Ga-42 filed by the plaintiff in support of his case rather it has relied on photostat copy of rent deed filed by the defendant-tenant and as such he believed the case of the tenant that the landlord received the sum of Rs. 3,000/- as advance payment of the rent from the tenant and further that Rs. 100/- per month was agreed to be adjusted out of the aforesaid advance of Rs. 3,000/- per month and that Rs. 3,000/- having been adjusted towards the rent was enhanced to Rs. 150/- per month which the tenant continued t














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