SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

1998 Supreme(All) 305

High Court Of Allahabad
J.C. Gupta, J.
Urmila Devi
Vs.
IInd Addl. District Judge Meerut
Decided on: 18th March, 1998

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
R.P. Goel

An admission made by a party or his agent in earlier judicial proceedings is binding upon the party in subsequent proceedings only if it is clear, definite and certain and not ambiguous, vague or confused.

Headnote:

LANDLORD AND TENANT - EVICTION - MATERIAL ALTERATION - ADMISSION BY LANDLORD'S AGENT - BINDING EFFECT - REQUIREMENT OF CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS STATEMENT.

Fact of the Case:

Tenant challenged eviction order based on material alteration of the leased premises. The tenant claimed that the constructions were made with the permission of the previous landlord and that the landlady's husband had admitted in an earlier suit that the constructions existed when she purchased the house. The courts below found that the constructions were made after the landlady purchased the house and were not covered by the previous landlord's permission.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the admission made by the landlady's husband was not clear and unambiguous and did not conclusively establish that the constructions existed when the landlady purchased the house. The court also held that the finding of the courts below that the constructions were made after the landlady purchased the house was based on evidence and was not perverse.

Issues: 1. Whether the admission made by the landlady's husband in an earlier suit was binding on the landlady in the present suit. 2. Whether the finding of the courts below that the constructions were made after the landlady purchased the house was perverse.

Ratio Decidendi: 1. An admission made by a party or his agent in earlier judicial proceedings is binding upon the party in subsequent proceedings and can be relied upon for proving the truth incorporated therein. However, the admission should be clear, definite and certain and not ambiguous, vague or confused. 2. A finding of fact recorded by the courts below will not be interfered with by a superior court unless it is perverse or based on no evidence.

Final Decision: The court dismissed the tenant's writ petition challenging the eviction order.

Judgment

J.C. Gupta, J.

1. This is tenant's writ petition for quashing the orders dated 8-5-90 (Annexure-2) and dated 29-10-93 (Annexure-1) passed by Judge, Small Causes Court Meerut (Respondent No. 2) and IInd Additional District Judge, Meerut (Respondent No. 1) respectively.

2. Because coming to the controversy involved in this writ petition, it is necessary to mention a few facts. Deen Dayal Sharma, the predecessor in interest of the petitioners was undisputedly tenant in the disputed house since before the house was purchased by Kamla Devi. She filed Suit No. 562/66 for the eviction of the tenant on the ground of default in payment of rent. The said suit was dismissed. Thereafter the landlady filed another Suit No. 930/68 for an injunction restraining the tenant from raising constructions. This suit was not dismissed as withdrawn. Then the landlady filed the present suit bearing No. 283/69 for the eviction of the tenant on the ground of material alteration. According to the landlady the defendant started raising construction in the disputed house in the year 1968 and so she filed the aforesaid suit for injunction. Despite an interim injunction, the defendant completed the constructions, therefore, she withdrew the suit. Ac cording to her, the tenant has built new rooms and has reduced the area of court yard, he has opened a door in the northern wall and closed the two openings in the verandah and converted it into a room. All these alterations have been made without the consent of the landlord.

3. The tenant contested the suit. Regarding the material alteration defendant's case was that at the time of allotment the house was single storied and it was not habitable. With the permission of the earstwhile landlord, the tenant made necessary additions and alterations to make house habitable and the upper story was also raised at his own expenses according to his needs. It was also con tended that the then landlord had also agreed that at the time of eviction, the defendant would be entitled to remove the 'malaba' of the constructions. In short the defence was that the disputed constructions and alterations in the disputed house were made with the permission of the previous landlord much before the house in question was purchased by the landlady.

4. The suit filed by the landlady-plain tiff was decreed by the Small Cause Court and the revision filed against the said judgment was also dismissed. The tenant petitioner approached this Court in Civil Revision No. 292/94 and the same was allowed by the judgment of this Court dated 20-2-76. The case was sent back to the trial court with the direction to dispose of the case according to law after giving opportunity to the parties to adduce such evidence as they might desire. After the remand the Judge, Small Cause Court, Meerut by the judgment dated 23-3-78 dismissed landlady's suit holding that the constructions raised by the tenant did not amount to material alteration within the meaning of Section 3(1)(c) of the Old Rent Control Act i.e. U.P. Act No. 3 of 1947. The trial Court, however, rejected the defendant's contention that the constructions in question had been raised as early as in the year 1961 and held that the constructions in question were raised much after the plaintiff had become owner and landlord of the disputed accommodation. The landlady filed SCC Revision No. 152678, and the same was allowed by the order dated 18-8-80 and the case was again sent back to the trial Court for a fresh decision in accordance with the observations made in the body of the judgment and after the remand the trial Court decreed the plaintiff's suit, which decree has been affirmed by the lower revisional court by the impugned order.

Sri. R.R Goel, learned Counsel appearing for the petitioners, contended that the finding of the courts below that the constructions have been raised after the house in question had been purchased by the present landlady is perverse in as much as both the courts below hav























Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top