BOMBAY HIGH COURT - BENCH AT AURANGABAD
SUNDARLAL RATILAL WANI DIED THROUGH LRS RAMABAI SUNDARLAL WANI AND OTHERS – Appellant
Versus
JENABAI RASULBHAI CHARAWALA DIED THROUGH LRS SABIR HUSSAIN RASULBHAI CHARAWALA AND OTHERS – Respondent
WP 2709/2016
['BORA SATYAJIT S', 'CAVEAT FILED BY ADV DESHMUKH RAJENDRA S', '', 'FOR R/ &']
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drp
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE OF BOMBAY
BENCH AT AURANGABAD
WRIT PETITION NO.2709 OF 2016
WITH
CIVIL APPLICATION NO.12292 OF 2021
Sundarlal Ratilal Wani
PETITIONERS
Died (Through LRS)
1.
Ramabai Sundarlal Wani
Age – 68 years, Occ – Household
R/o Methaji Plots
Opposite Vidya Gauri Bungalow
Bhusawal, District – Jalgaon
2.
Bhaskar Sundarlal Wani
Age – 52 years, Occ – Business / Service
R/o As above
VERSUS
Jenabai Rasulbhai Charawala
RESPONDENTS
Died (Through LRs)
1.
Sabir Hussain Rasulbhai Charawala
Age – 45 years, Occ – Business
R/o 863 Chowk Bazar, Bhusawal
District – Jalgaon
2.
Mustak Hussain Rasulbhai Charawala
Age – 44 years, Occ – Business
R/o As above
3.
Subhash Sundarlal Wani
Age – 47 years, Occ – Business
R/o Methaji Plots
Opposite Vidya Gauri Bungalow
Bhusawal, District – Jalgaon
4.
Ramesh Sundarlal Yawalkar (Wani)
Age -44 years, Occ – Business
R/o C/o Mr. Jade,
Shridhar Housing Society,
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Wadi, Nagpur
5.
Suresh Sundarlal Wani
Age – 38 years, Occ – Service
R/o Trimbak Nagar
Jalgaon
.......
Mr. S. S. Bora, Advocate for the petitioners
Mr. Rajendra S. Deshmukh, Senior Advocate i/b Mr. Shritej
Survey for respondents No. 1 and 2
.......
[CORAM : NITIN B. SURYAWANSHI, J.]
RESERVED ON
: 30
th NOVEMBER, 2021
PRONOUNCED ON : 21
st DECEMBER, 2021
JUDGMENT :
1.
Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. Heard finally with
the consent of learned advocates for the parties.
2.
Short point involved in the writ petition is whether the
tenancy is a monthly tenancy or an yearly tenancy. For the sake
of convenience, the parties are referred to as “tenant/s” and
“Landlady / Landlords”.
3.
The petitioners are the tenants of shop premises situated
at Municipal House No. 847, City Survey No. 1421 at Bhusawal.
Initially, the respondent Jenabai was the Landlady and after her
death, her legal heirs are now owners and landlords of the suit
property.
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4.
The landlady had issued a legal notice dated 10th February,
1978 to the tenant claiming that the tenancy was monthly
tenancy and monthly rent was payable @ Rs.52.59 and the
tenancy month commenced from first day of each English
month. The tenant was in arrears of the rent from 1st February,
1977 and has become a defaulter. The Shop premises was
needed for her personal bona fide use. Therefore, by the notice,
the landlady terminated the tenancy rights of the tenant by the
end of 31st March, 1978. The tenant was, therefore, called upon
to vacate the shop premises by the end of 31st March, 1978 and
was directed to pay arrears of rent.
5.
The tenant replied said notice and refuted the claim of the
landlady. The tenant contended that rent was payable yearly @
Rs.631.08. The said rent amount was sent to the landlady and
further an amount of Rs.105.58 was being sent as two months’
rent up to 31st March, 1978. The claim of the landlady for bona
fide personal requirement was denied by the tenant.
6.
Regular Civil Suit No. 466 of 1978 was filed by the landlady
claiming that the tenant was in arrears of rent from 1976 and,
therefore, the tenant has became defaulter and the landlady
wanted the shop premises for her own bona fide personal use.
After 10th February, 1978, the tenant kept the shop premises
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closed for a period of eight months and did no business during
that period. Thus, clause “non user of tenanted premises” is
attracted.
7.
The tenant resisted the suit by filing written statement
contending that after receipt of the legal notice, the entire
amount of arrears of rent was sent to the landlady by money
order. It was further contended that the rent claimed by the
landlady was not the standard rent of the shop premises. The
tenant denied that the shop premises was kept close for eight
months. The tenant contended that he would suffer greater
hardships, if he is required to vacate t