IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD (LUCKNOW BENCH)
D.N. JHA, J
Saghir Ahmad - Appellant
Versus
State of U.P. and Others - Respondent
Writ Petition No. 874 of 1973
Decided on : 21-01-1977
RENT CONTROL - U.P. URBAN BUILDINGS (REGULATION OF LETTING, RENT AND EVICTION) ACT, 1972 - SECTION 3(G) - ALLOTMENT OF SHOP - CANCELLATION - GROUNDS - FRAUD AND MISREPRESENTATION - MAINTAINABILITY OF APPLICATION - RES JUDICATA - ADMISSION OF TENANT - EFFECT.
Fact of the Case:
Petitioner, Saghir Ahmad, challenged the orders passed by the Area Rationing Officer, Lucknow, canceling the allotment of a shop to him and declaring it vacant. The landlady, Smt. Mehar Jahan, had filed an application for cancellation of the allotment order on the ground of fraud and misrepresentation. The Petitioner argued that the application was not maintainable and was barred by res judicata.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the application for cancellation of the allotment order on the ground of fraud and misrepresentation was maintainable as every authority has inherent jurisdiction to recall an order obtained fraudulently. The court also held that the application was not barred by res judicata as there was no evidence that the same facts and grounds had been taken in earlier proceedings.
Issues: 1. Whether the application for cancellation of the allotment order was maintainable? 2. Whether the application was barred by res judicata?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that the application for cancellation of the allotment order was maintainable as every authority has inherent jurisdiction to recall an order obtained fraudulently. 2. The court held that the application was not barred by res judicata as there was no evidence that the same facts and grounds had been taken in earlier proceedings.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the writ petition, holding that the impugned orders called for no interference.
D.N. Jha, J.
Petitioner Saghir Ahmad has filed this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution praying for quashing of the orders dated 7-6-1973 and 12-6-1973 passed by the Area Rationing Officer, Lucknow, opposite party No. 3.
2. The brief fads are that the dispute between the Petitioner Saghir Ahmad and Smt. Mehar Jahan relates to shop No. 229/47 situate at Chanwal Wali Gali, police station Chowk, Lucknow. The Petitioner is the allottee vide allotment order dated 17-10-1968 and opposite party No. 4 Smt. Mehar Jahan is the landlady. Formerly this shop was let out by the landlady Mehar Jahan to one Noor Mohammad who was the father-in-law of Saghir Ahmad on Rs. 50/- per month through an' agreement reduced in writing. Noor Mohammad remained in occupation of the shop for three months and thereafter on 13-8-1968 he intimated the Rent Control and Eviction Officer, Lucknow that he had vacated the shop on 10-8-1968 and it may be allotted to any deserving person. No information about vacating the premises appears to have been communicated to the landlady. This shop was ultimately allotted to the Petitioner Saghir Ahmad son-in-law of Noor Mohammad on 17-10-1968 under the old U.P. (Temporary) Rent Control and Eviction Act 1947 (hereinafter to be referred to as the old Act). The landlady, however, was not willing to accept the Petitioner as a tenant. The Petitioner in order to strengthen his case moved an application u/s 3-A of the old Act and the rent of the premises vide order dated 14-8-1970 was fixed at Rs. 20/- per month. The landlady moved an application u/s 7-B of the old Act for payment of rent amounting to Rs. 1150/-. It may be mentioned that earlier after the allotment some revision “had been moved before the Commissioner but that was dismissed in default. This application u/s 7-B also, it appears, was not pursued. Ultimately an application was moved by the landlord for cancellation of the allotment order on the ground of fraud and misrepresentation. In the meantime U.P. Urban Buildings (Regulation of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972 (hereinafter referred to as new Act) came into force and this application was pursued by the landlady in accordance with the provisions of the new Act. Opposite party No. 3 obtained report from the Inspector and after hearing the parties vide order dated 7-6-1973 held that Sri Akhlak Ahmad who was the son of Noor Mohammad who was father-in-law of the Petitioner Saghir Ahmad could not be deemed to be a family member of Saghir Ahmad as defined u/s 3(g) of the Act and it was Akhlak Ahmad who was running a business in the name of Akhlak Tent House in the shop in question and hence he came to the conclusion that it will be a case where the lawful tenant ceased to occupy the business and allowed it to be occupied by other person who was not the member of his family and declared the said shop in question as vacant and open for allotment/release. This order is dated 7-6-1973 and is Annexure-2. Thereafter the vacancy was notified regarding the shop vide order dated 12-6-1973 and objections about it being vacant were required to be submitted by 18-6-1973. This order is Annexure-3. It is in these circumstances that the Petitioner has come up before this Court impugning the two orders passed by opposite party No. 3 by means of the present petition. The petition has been contested on behalf of opposite party No. 4 Smt. Mehar Jahan, the landlady and it is asserted in the counter affidavit that the orders passed by opposite party No. 3 are legal, just and proper and call for no interference in exercise of discretionary jurisdiction vested in this Court under Article 226 of the Constitution. It is also asserted that only a vacancy has been declared and it will be open for the opposite party No. 4 to file a review application or challenge the allotment/release order by means of appeal before the District Judge.
3. I have heard the learned Counsel for the parties. The learned Counsel for the Petition
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