Compromises in eviction cases must satisfy statutory grounds for eviction as per the Rent Control Act; the court cannot validate compromises that ignore these requirements.

JUDGMENT

SHOBA ANNAMMA EAPEN, J.

The petitioner is the judgment debtor/tenant in EP No.145 of 2021 in RCP No.1/2018 on the files of the Rent Control Court, North Paravur. The respondent is the decree holder/landlord. The above OP(RC) is filed by the petitioner under Article 227 of the Constitution of India, seeking for a direction to set aside Ext.P3 order dated 29.01.2021 passed by the Rent Control Court, North Paravur.

2. The landlord filed RCP No.1 of 2018 before the Rent Control Court, Paravur, for eviction of the tenant under Section 11(3) of the Kerala Buildings (Lease & Rent Control) Act, 1965 (for short, “the Act”). The bona fide need projected was for conducting a business of soda sarbath, books and stationery. Thereafter, the parties entered into compromise and the matter was settled in mediation. The tenant agreed to surrender vacant possession of the building after 11 months from 07.01.2020 and on surrender, the landlord agreed to pay the advance amount of Rs.15,000/-. On the basis of the settlement arrived at, Ext.P3 compromise order was passed by the Rent Control Court.

3. Later, the petitioner/tenant, on coming to know that the landlord is going to rent out the premises on a higher rent to another person to conduct a travel agency, offered to renew the rent agreement and to pay higher rent and in turn, the landlord agreed to withdraw the execution petition. However, the landlord turned round from his willingness to renew the rent agreement with the petitioner/tenant and it has come to the knowledge of the petitioner/tenant that the landlord is going to rent out the premises to another travel agency. Hence, the petitioner/tenant has come up with this petition to set aside Ext.P3 mediation settlement order stating that the landlord is acting against the settlement arrived at with the petitioner/tenant.

4. On hearing the matter, this Court is of the view that the matter requires a deeper consideration of the issue involved as to whether parties can arrive at a compromise in a petition for eviction without reference to any of the grounds for eviction. Considering the importance of the issue, this Court appointed Adv.P.B.Subramanyan as Amicus Curiae.

5. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner, the learned counsel for the respondent and Adv.P.B.Subramanyan, learned Amicus Curiae.

6. Ext.P3 is the order of eviction passed on the basis of a compromise petition filed by the parties. On being convinced that the terms were lawful, the compromise was recorded and Ext.P3 eviction order was passed incorporating the terms of the compromise. The rent control petition for eviction was filed under Section 11(3) of the Act. During the pendency of the rent control petition, the parties were referred for mediation and in mediation, they entered into a compromise on 07.01.2020. The terms of compromise are as follows;

“1) മ(cid:2)ൽ നമർ മ(cid:8)സ(cid:10)ൽ വ(cid:12)ദ(cid:10)യ(cid:15)ട(cid:17) ഉ(cid:17)(cid:2)സതയ(cid:10)ല(cid:15)ളത(cid:15)(cid:23) വര(cid:12)പ(cid:15)ഴ വ(cid:10)മ(cid:27)ജ(cid:10)ടല സർമവ 309/1 ൽ ട(cid:29)ട 5 ടസന(cid:31) (cid:31) വസ(cid:15)" വ(cid:10)ൽ വര(cid:12)പ(cid:15)ഴ (cid:29)ഞ(cid:12)യത(cid:10)ൽ ന(cid:10)ന(cid:15)(cid:23) 4/51-ആ(cid:23) നമർ ട(cid:8)ട(cid:10)(cid:17)ത(cid:10)ന(cid:31)ട ടതമ’ അറടത (cid:29)*(cid:17)(cid:10)(cid:8) (cid:2)(cid:15) (cid:10) പ(cid:29)ത(cid:10) വ(cid:12)(cid:17)(cid:8)യ(cid:31) മ’റ(cid:31) ക(cid:8)വശ(cid:23) ടവച(cid:31) ന(cid:17)ത(cid:10) വര(cid:15)നത(cid:31) വ(cid:12)ദ(cid:10)യ(cid:15)ട(cid:17) സ/ന ആവശ1ത(cid:10)മല’(cid:31) മവണ(cid:10) ഒഴ(cid:10)ഞ(cid:15) നൽ(cid:8)ണ(cid:23) എന വ1വസ പ(cid:29)(cid:8)(cid:12)ര(cid:2)(cid:12)ണ(cid:31) മ(cid:2)ൽ നമർ മ(cid:8)സ(cid:31) ന(cid:10)ലവ(cid:10)ൽ മ7(cid:12)ധ(cid:10)പ(cid:10)ച(cid:10)ട(cid:15)ളത.(cid:31)

2) മ(cid:2)ൽപ(cid:17)(cid:10) (cid:29)*(cid:17)(cid:10)(cid:8)(cid:2)(cid:15) (cid:10) ത(cid:15)(cid:17)ർന(cid:31) പ(cid:29)ത(cid:10)’(cid:31) അത(cid:10)ൽ ന(cid:10)ലവ(cid:10)ൽ ന(cid:17)ത(cid:10) വര(cid:15)ന 7(cid:10)സ(cid:10)നസ(cid:31) ന(cid:17)ത(cid:15)നത(ci