IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATES OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CR-219-2025 (O&M)

Date of Decision: 26.02.2026 Manohar Lal & another ………..… Petitioners Versus Amrinder Singh Poonia & another ….…..... Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE GURVINDER SINGH GILL HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE RAMESH KUMARI Present: Mr. Divanshu Jain, Advocate, for the petitioners.

Mr. Saurav Bhatia, Advocate, for the respondents.

GURVINDER SINGH GILL, J.

1. Finding divergence in views taken by different Single Benches of this Court on the issue of validity of a composite order passed by the Rent Controller dismissing the application filed by petitioners (tenants) seeking ‘leave to contest’ as well as directing their eviction, the matter has been referred to Larger Bench and is before this Court.

2. A few facts, necessary to notice for answering the reference are that respondent No.1 (landlord), being NRI, filed an eviction petition under provisions of Section 24(3) of the Punjab Rent Act, 1995. Pursuant to issuance of notice, the petitioners (tenants) moved an application in terms of provisions of section 38(7)(b) seeking ‘leave to contest’ the said petition. The Rent Controller, SAS Nagar (Mohali), by way of a c