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1987 Supreme(All) 201

HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
RAVI S. DHAVAN, J.
Jagat Narain Dwivedi - Appellant
Versus
Addl. Civil Judge Vi, Kanpur Nagar - Respondent
Civil Misc. Writ Petition No. 3428 of 1987
Decided on : Apr 17, 1987

Advocates appeared:
K.K. Tripathi

A landlord's obligations under Section 27 of the U. P. Urban Buildings (Reg. of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972 to provide basic amenities to his tenant cannot be absolved by an application for eviction under Section 21 of the Act.

Headnote:

U. P. URBAN BUILDINGS (REG. OF LETTING, RENT AND EVICTION) ACT, 1972 - SECTION 27 - LANDLORD'S OBLIGATIONS REGARDING AMENITIES - ENFORCEMENT - PRESCRIBED AUTHORITY'S JURISDICTION - COURT'S INTERVENTION UNDER ARTICLE 226.

Fact of the Case:

A landlord cut off basic amenities, including privy, toilet, and water, to his tenant. The tenant filed a complaint with the Prescribed Authority under Section 27 of the U. P. Urban Buildings (Reg. of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972, which directed the landlord to restore the amenities within 15 days. However, the landlord sought to recall the order, claiming that he had filed an application for eviction of the tenant under Section 21 of the Act. The Prescribed Authority recalled the earlier order, leaving the tenant without basic amenities.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the Prescribed Authority erred in recalling the order to restore the amenities. The landlord's application for eviction under Section 21 did not absolve him of his obligations under Section 27 to provide the amenities. The court also found that the Prescribed Authority's order giving the landlord 15 days to restore the amenities was not in conformity with Section 27, which stipulates a period not exceeding one week.

Issues: 1. Whether the Prescribed Authority had jurisdiction to recall the order directing the landlord to restore the amenities. 2. Whether the landlord's application for eviction under Section 21 relieved him of his obligations under Section 27 to provide the amenities. 3. Whether the Prescribed Authority's order giving the landlord 15 days to restore the amenities was in conformity with Section 27.

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The Prescribed Authority erred in recalling the order to restore the amenities. The landlord's application for eviction under Section 21 did not absolve him of his obligations under Section 27 to provide the amenities. 2. The Prescribed Authority's order giving the landlord 15 days to restore the amenities was not in conformity with Section 27, which stipulates a period not exceeding one week.

Final Decision: The court quashed the Prescribed Authority's order recalling the order to restore the amenities and directed the Prescribed Authority to issue a fresh direction requiring the landlord to restore the amenities within one week. The court also ordered that further proceedings arising out of the landlord's Section 21 application for eviction would remain in abeyance until the amenities were restored.

JUDGMENT

RAVI S. DHAVAN, J.

1. A landlord has cut off the basic amenities of his tenant, and deprived the latter of the privy and toilet, and water also. The tenant, the petitioner before this Court, complained to the Prescribed Authority under section 27 of the U. P. Urban Buildings (Reg. of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972. The Prescribed Authority, after hearing both, the tenant and the landlord directed by an order of 13th January, 1987 that the aforesaid amenities should be restored within fifteen days of the order aforesaid, failing which the tenant could have these facilities restored at the landlord's expense.

2. Within two days of the order of the Prescribed Authority, the landlord sought the recall of the order dated 13th January, 1987, under section 27 of the Act. The reason, the landlord was seeking the eviction of tenant by an application under section 21 of the Act, for the release of the accommodation. The application of the landlord, by which he resisted the order to restore the amenities is being set on record of the judgment. " In the Court of VI Addl. Munsif/P. A., Kanpur B.C. No. 15/85 Jagat Narain v. Shamboo Dayal Application on behalf of opposite party Sir, In the present case this learned court on 13-1-87 was pleased to allow the petition of petitioners. The opposite party has already filed a petition under section 21 (a) of Act, XIII of 1972 for release of disputed accommodation. In case the order passed in present case is not stayed the same shall cause complication and harassment to the opposite party. As such it is necessary that operation of the order passed on 13-1-87 in the case be stayed till the decision of Act XIII of 1972. Prayer It is, prayed that the learned court be pleased to stay the operation of order dated 13-1-87 passed in the case till the disposal of case of Act No. XIII of 1972. Opposite Party Dated 15-1-87. Shambhoo Dayal " Unfortunately, the Prescribed Authority, by his order dated 2nd February, 1987 recalled the earlier order under section 27, aforesaid, by which the basic amenities were to be restored and provided to the tenant. The purpose of section 27, thus, stood negated.

Notices on this writ petition, under the orders of Hon'ble Umesh Chandra, J. were directed to be served personally on the landlord Shambhu Dayal Misra. An affidavit of service has been filed by the petitioner and also his counsel before the Prescribed Authority in Case No. 10/74 of 1987 from which proceedings this writ petition arises. The landlord did not accept the summons of this Court and the copy of the writ petition, so the affidavits of the tenant and his counsel submit. But, the landlord is not without notice of this petition, notwithstanding the fact that he did not accept the summon of this Court and the copy of the writ petition. The landlord is aware of this writ petition. The tenant filed objections before the Prescribed Authority by an affidavit dated 28th February, 1987, in effect, submitting that an order providing for, or restoring basic amenities could not be recalled. In this affidavit the tenant, in paragraph 3 has referred to this writ petition, as also the fact that this Court had directed that the landlord be served with the summons of the Court, personally. This affidavit of the tenant is on record of the case before the Prescribed Authority. A copy of the aforesaid affidavit of the tenant, was served on the counsel for the landlord. The presumption is irresistable that the landlord has notice of this petition from the court of the Prescribed Authority. As this is a matter where basic amenities of the tenant have been cut off, this Court cannot wait for the landlord, except the reasonable time it already has, otherwise the very purpose of section 27, of the Act, aforesaid, ' would be frustrated.

3. A tenant's complaint seeking the enforcement of the landlord's obligations regarding amenities is to be considered with a sense of urgency. That the legislature desired this, is clear f







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