Citation : 2025 Latest Caselaw 132 Guj
Judgement Date : 5 May, 2025
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD
R/CIVIL REVISION APPLICATION NO. 388 of 2024
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LEGAL HEIRS OF DECEASED ASHABHAI BECHARBHAI PATEL & ORS.
Versus
LEGAL HEIRS OF RAMANBHAI MANILAL PATHAK & ORS.
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Appearance:
MR VIJAL P DESAI(5505) for the Applicant(s) No. 1,1.1,1.2,1.3,1.4
MS ISHITA V DESAI(5975) for the Applicant(s) No. 1,1.1,1.2,1.3,1.4
MR NIRAV C SANGHAVI(5950) for the Opponent(s) No. 4,5,6
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CORAM:HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE SANJEEV J.THAKER
Date : 05/05/2025
ORAL ORDER
1. The present applicant is original defendants challenging the judgment and order dated 12.03.2024 passed by learned Additional District Judge, Kheda at Kapadwanj in Regular Civil Appeal No.59 of 2021 whereby the judgment and decree passed in Regular Civil Suit No.2 of 2012 [Old No.30 of 95] by learned Principal Civil Judge, Kathlal dated 09.08.2017 has been confirmed.
2. The brief facts arising in the present proceedings are that,-
2.1 the plaintiff being the owner of the suit property had filed Regular Civil Suit No.2 of 2012 for eviction on the ground that the suit premises i.e. shop was given on rent to defendant no.1 and defendant no.1 being in arrears of rent and even after issuance of statutory notice as defendant no.1 did not pay rent, the plaintiff is entitled for possession and it is the case of the plaintiff that defendant no.1 has sublet the suit premises [Section 13 (e) of the
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Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control Act, 1947, ('the Rent Act', for short) and, therefore, sought eviction. The trial Court had framed following issues nos.1 to 7.
(i) Whether plaintiff proves that defendant no.1 has become become tenant in arrears for six months ?
(ii) Whether plaintiff proves that plaintiff is entitled to recover amount of unpaid rent of Rs.4795.50 for 139 months ?
(iii) Whether plaintiff proves that the notice is legal ?
(iv) Whether plaintiff proves that the defendant no.1 has sublet the defendant no.2 against the provisions of Rent Act ?
(v) Whether defendant no.1 proves that he has rented the open land only ?
(vi) Whether the plaintiff proves that he is entitled to the relief as sought for ?
(vii) What order and decree ?
2.2 The trial Court has passed decree on the ground that defendant has sublet the suit property to defendant no.2 attracting the provisions of Section 13(1)(e) of the Rent Act.
2.3 In the said suit, though defendant no.2 is joined, no prayer is sought against defendant no.2. The defendant no.1 did not challenge the said judgment and decree passed by the trial Court and defendant no.2 challenged the judgment and decree of the trial Court and by a judgment dated 12.03.2024, the appellate Court rejected the said appeal.
2.4 Before the trial Court, the plaintiff had examined himself at
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Exh.114 and the plaintiff's witness is examined at Exh130. Defendant had neither entered witness box nor had given any oral evidence.
3.1 Learned advocate for the defendant no.2 has mainly argued that as no relief was sought against defendant no.2 i.e. sub-tenant, trial Court and the appellate Court could not have passed any order of eviction against defendant no.2. It has been argued by learned advocate for the defendant no.2 that even if the averments made in the plaint are perused, there is no relief sought for of eviction against defendant no.2 and in the plaint, the plaintiff has stated that the relief that has been sought is only against defendant no.1 and in the plaint at para:20, the plaintiff himself has mentioned that defendant no.2 is not necessary party but a proper party and, therefore, as no relief was set against defendant no.2, the trial Court could not have passed judgment and decree against defendant no.2 making him to handover peaceful vacant possession of the suit property.
3.2 It has also been argued that the trial Court has held that as notice is illegal, the trial Court could not have granted decree of eviction against the present defendant. It has also been argued that suit itself is barred on the ground of limitation as the predecessor of the petitioners were in possession of the property since 1985 and the suit is filed in the year 1995 and therefore also suit is not maintainable.
3.3 Learned advocate for the defendant no.2 has argued that trial Court has not appreciated the arguments of defendant advanced before it and therefore also judgment and decree passed by the trial Court
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and confirmed by the appellate Court is required to be quashed and set aside.
3.4 Learned advocate for the defendant has also relied upon judgment in Rohitsinh Rohit Singh & Ors vs State Of Bihar (Now State Of Jharkhand) reported in 2006 (12) SCC 734 (para-21), in the case of Bharat Amratlal Kothari vs Dosukhan Samadkhan Sindhi & Ors reported in 2010 (1) SCC 234 [para-14] and in the case of Mohd. Amin & Ors. vs. Vakil Ahmed and Ors. reported in 1952 (SC) AIR 358 [Para-20].
4.1 Per contra, learned advocate for the plaintiff has mainly argued that it was not necessary for the plaintiff to join defendant no.2 as party but as defendant no.2 was proper party, defendant no.2 has been joined as party.
4.2 It has also been argued that defendants have not entered witness box and have not contradicted statements made by the plaintiff with respect to subletting and therefore also judgment and decree passed by the trial Court which is confirmed by the appellant Court is as per Law.
4.3 Learned advocate for the plaintiff has also argued that from the facts which have been proved by the plaintiff, it can be clearly established that the defendant no.2 is in occupation of the premises and defendant no.1 has sublet property to defendant no.2 and therefore judgment and decree passed by the trial Court and confirmed by the appellate Court are as per law. It has also been argued that trial Court has given findings on all the issues after
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appreciating the evidence and therefore also the present Civil Revision Application is required to be dismissed.
4.4 Moreover, learned advocate for the plaintiff has also argued that defendant no.1 is not using suit shop and defendant no.1 has sublet suit property to defendant no.2. Moreover, it has also been argued that even in the written statement filed by defendant no.1 vide Exh.36 and defendant no.2 at Exh.21, the defendants have admitted that they have entered in unregistered partnership deed with respect to the suit premises. Moreover, defendants have neither entered witness box nor have produced partnership deed and, therefore adverse inference was rightly been drawn by the trial Court. It has been argued that even the witness of the plaintiff has stated that there was no partnership between the defendant nos.1 and 2 with respect to suit property. It is the case of the plaintiff that defendant no.2 is exclusively using property and defendant no.1 has sublet suit property to defendant no.2.
5. Having heard learned advocates for the parties, the fact remains that it was the case of the plaintiff that the suit property was let by plaintiff to defendant no.1 in his personal capacity on monthly rent of Rs.31.50 ps. The shop licence and other relevant documents of the suit premises produced by Shop Inspector vide Exhs.135 to 142 are all in the name of defendant no.2. Moreover, though a stand has been taken by the defendant no.2 that there is partnership which has been executed between defendant nos.1 and 2, no document pertaining to the said partnership has been produced before the Court. And, therefore, plaintiff has proved that defendant no.1 has
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parted with exclusive possession and control over the suit premises and has handed over suit property to defendant no.2.
5.1 Learned advocate for the plaintiff has relied upon two judgments :
(i) 2004 (8) SCC 706, Balvant N. Viswamitra vs. Yadav Sadashiv Mule (Dead) thro' Lrs. and others; and
(ii) 2024 SCC Online Madras 5493, K. Abdul Samad and ors. vs. St. Peters Church, Royapuram and another
5.2 Learned advocate for the defendant has relied upon the judgment reported in Rohitsinh Rohit Singh & Ors vs State Of Bihar (Now State Of Jharkhand) (supra), more particularly para-21 which reads as under:
"21. We also find that there was no prayer as such by way of counter-claim. A mere plea that prescriptive title may be declared and payment of court fee for a declaratory relief would not suffice. Even assuming that this could be treated as a prayer for declaration of title by defendants 3 to 17, there was no warrant for granting a decree to defendants 3 to 17 for recovery of possession as was done by the trial court by way of counter-claim or a decree for permanent injunction as was granted by the first appellate court. Even the requisite court fees were not paid. Since the reliefs granted by those courts are not reliefs prayed for, that part of the decree, in any event, could not be sustained."
5.3 Learned advocate for the defendant has relied upon the judgment reported in Bharat Amratlal Kothari vs Dosukhan Samadkhan Sindhi & Ors (supra), more particularly para-14, which reads thus:
"14. The approach of the High Court in granting relief not prayed for cannot be approved by this Court. Every petition under Article 226 of the Constitution must contain a relief
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clause. Whenever the petitioner is entitled or is claiming more than one relief, he must pray for all the reliefs. Under the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, if the plaintiff omits, except with the leave of the court, to sue for any particular relief which he is entitled to get, he will not afterwards be allowed to sue in respect of the portion so omitted or relinquished. Though the provisions of the Code are not made applicable to the proceedings under Article 226 of the Constitution, the general principles made in the Civil Procedure Code will apply even to writ petitions. It is, therefore, incumbent on the petitioner to claim all reliefs he seeks from the court. Normally, the court will grant only those reliefs specifically prayed by the petitioner. Though the court has very vide discretion in granting relief, the court, however, cannot, ignoring and keeping aside the norms and principles governing grant of relief, grant a relief not even prayed for by the petitioner. In Krishna Priya vs. University of Lucknow [(1984) 1 SCC 307], overlooking the rule relating to grant of admission to Postgraduate course in medical college, the High Court in the exercise of powers under Article 226 of the Constitution directed the Medical Council to grant provisional admission to the petitioner. This Court set aside the order passed by the High Court observing that "in his own petition in the High Court, the respondent has merely prayed for a writ directing the State or the College to consider his case for admission yet the High Court went a step further and straightway issued a writ of mandamus directing the College to admit him to M.S. course and thus granted relief to the respondent which he himself never prayed for and could not have been prayed for". Again, in Om Prakash vs. Ram Kumar [(1991) 1 SCC 441], this Court observed, "A party cannot be granted a relief which is not claimed, if the circumstances of the case are such that the granting of such relief would result in serious prejudice to the interested party and deprive him of the valuable rights under the statute". Though a High Court has power to mould reliefs to meet the requirements of each case, that does not mean that the draftsman of a writ petition should not apply his mind to the proper relief which should be asked for and throw the entire burden of it upon the court. It is relevant to notice that the High Court was not exercising powers under Article 226 of the Constitution suo motu but was examining the validity of order passed by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate refusing to grant custody of goats and sheep to the respondent Nos. 1 to 6, in the Special Criminal Application, which was filed by them
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under Article 226 of the Constitution through a were represented by a senior counsel practicing in the Gujarat High Court and having regard to the facts of the case, the learned lawyer was justified only in claiming those reliefs to which reference is made earlier. The respondent Nos. 1 to 6 were seeking a writ of certiorari or mandamus to declare that order dated July 5, 2009, passed by the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Deesa, refusing to hand over custody of the goats and sheep seized to them, was illegal and were also seeking quashing of the said order. At no point of time, the learned advocate for the respondent Nos. 1 to 6 had moved any application seeking permission of the Court to amend the prayer clause contained in the petition so as to enable the respondent Nos. 1 to 6 to claim compensation from the appellant No. 1. A fair reading of the petition makes it more than clear that no factual data whatsoever was laid by the respondent Nos. 1 to 6 for claiming compensation from the appellant No. 1. No facts were mentioned as to in which manner they or any of them had suffered damage or loss because of the handing over of custody of goats and sheep to the appellant No. 1 and ultimately to the respondent No. 8 Panjarapole situated at Patan nor the appellant No. 1 was permitted to controvert that in fact no damage or loss was suffered by the respondent Nos. 1 to 6 or any of them. There is no manner of doubt that the High Court was too indulgent in this matter. After all, it was not a petition from a person languishing in jail or from a bonded labourer or a party in person or public spirited citizen seeking to bring a gross injustice to the notice of the court. Here, the High Court had before it the respondent Nos. 1 to 6 as petitioners. The question whether the respondent Nos. 1 to 6 suffered damage or loss because of handing over of goats and sheep to the appellant No. 1 and/or to the respondent No. 8, depends upon facts to be proved. Normally, such an exercise cannot be undertaken in a writ filed under Article 226 of the Constitution. This Court further finds that the appellant No. 1 is not only directed to pay, by way of compensation and cost, to each of the respondent Nos. 1 to 6 a sum of Rs.75,000/- but is further directed to pay on behalf of respondent Nos. 1 to 6 the cost of maintenance and treatment of the animals in question to respondent No. 8 in accordance with the provisions of sub- Section (4) of Section 35 of the Act. To mention the least, it is evident that the respondent Nos. 1 to 6 are not parties to Criminal Inquiry Case No. 237 of 2008, which is pending before the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Palanpur. As observed
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earlier, the said inquiry has been initiated at the instance of one of the aides of the accused. In the said inquiry the question posed for determination of the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Palanpur, would be whether the appellant No. 1 and others with police personnel had committed loot of trucks with goats and sheep and also cash amount of Rs.1,11,000. The said inquiry is not concluded as on today nor any finding is rendered that the appellant No. 1 and others with the aid of police personnel had committed loot of the articles mentioned in the complaint of that case. Therefore, the appellant No. 1 could not have been directed to pay compensation and cost to 6 without prejudice to their rights and contentions in the criminal proceedings initiated by way of Criminal Inquiry Case No. 237 of 2008. Moreover, no claim was advanced by the respondent No. 8 herein that the appellant No. 1 should be directed to pay, on behalf of the owners, i.e., the respondent Nos. 1 to 6, the cost of maintenance and treatment of the animals in question in accordance with the provisions of sub-Section (4) of Section 35 of the Act. Normally, cost of maintenance and treatment of the animals in such cases would be payable by one who claims custody or who are the owners of the live stock but not by the complainant. In the instant case the assertion made by the appellant No. 1 is that he was handed over custody of goats and sheep by the police after registration of FIR seems to be that the appellant No. 1 had taken possession of the live stock and trucks illegally before the FIR was lodged and had acted in a high handed manner. The dispute whether appellant No. 1 was handed over custody of goats and sheep after filing of the complaint or whether he had obtained custody of goats and sheep illegally before the complaint was lodged, will have to be adjudicated upon evidence to be lead by the parties. Such a highly contentious dispute cannot and could not be resolved in a petition under Article 226 of the Constitution. Having regard to the totality of the facts and circumstances emerging from the record of the case, this Court is of the firm opinion that there was no justification at all in directing the appellant No. 1 to pay a sum of Rs.75,000/- towards compensation and cost to each of the respondent Nos. 1 to 6 and to pay to the respondent No. 8 herein the cost of maintenance and treatment of the animals in question on behalf of the respondent Nos. 1 to 6. Therefore, this direction is also liable to be set aside."
The said judgment will not be of any assistance to defendant
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no.2 as those judgments are with respect to the counter claim that has been filed in respective cases and in the present case, the suit was filed under the Rent Act and though it is not necessary to join sub- tenant in the suit proceedings and, therefore as there is no privity of contract between plaintiff and defendant no.2 and the fact that defendant no.2 is claiming through defendant no.1, it cannot be said that the judgment and decree passed in the said proceedings is not binding to defendant no.2.
5.4 Learned advocate for the defendant has relied upon the judgment reported in the case of Mohd. Amin & Ors. vs. Vakil Ahmed and Ors. (supra) more particularly para:20 of the said judgment which reads as under:
"20. It was however pointed out by Shri S.P. Sinha that the High Court erred in awarding to the plaintiffs mesne profits even though there was no demand for the same in the plaint. The learned Solicitor-General appearing for the plaintiffs conceded that there was no demand for mesne profits as such but urged that the claim for mesne profits would be included within the expression "awarding possession and occupation of the property aforesaid together with all the rights appertaining thereto." We are afraid that the claim for mesne profits cannot be included within this expression and the High Court was in error in awarding to the plaintiffs mesne profits though they had not been claimed in the plaint. The provision in regard to the mesne profits will therefore have to be deleted from the decree. We dismiss the appeal of the defendants 1 to 5 and affirm the decree passed by the High Court in favour of the plain- tiffs, deleting therefrom' the provision in regard to mesne profits. The plaintiffs will of course be entitled to their costs throughout from the defendants 1 to 5."
The said judgment is also not of assistance as it is on the issue of mesne profits.
5.5 The judgment that has been relied upon by plaintiff in the case of Balvant N. Viswamitra vs. Yadav Sadashiv Mule (Dead) thro' Lrs.
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and others (supra). Paras:26, 27 and 28 of the said judgment read as under:
26. As held by this Court in Udit Narain Singh Malpaharia v. Addl Member, Board of Revenue, Bihar, [1963] Supp l SCR 676, there is a distinction between "necessary party" and "proper party" In that case, the Court said:
"The law on the subject is well settled: it is enough if we state the principle. A necessary party is one without whom no order can be mode effectively; a proper party is one in whose absence an effective order can be made but whose presence is necessary for a complete and final decision on the question involved in the proceeding." (emphasis supplied)
27. In M/s.Importers and Manufacturers Ltd. v. Pheroze Framroze Taraporewala and Ors., AIR (1953) SC 73 this Court held that in a suit for possession by a landlord against a tenant, sub-tenant is merely a proper party and not a necessary party.
28. In Rupchand Gupta v. Raghvanshi (Pvt.) Ltd. and Another, AIR (1964) SC 1889 an ex parte decree was passed in favour of the landlord and against the tenant. An application for setting aside the decree was made by the sub- tenant by invoking the provisions of Order IX, Rule 13 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, inter alia contending that the decree was collusive inasmuch as the sub-tenant was not joined as party defendant. The decree was, therefore, liable to be set aside. Repelling the contention, this Court observed:
"(I)t is quite clear that the law does not require that the sub-
lessee need be made a party. It has been rightly pointed out by the High Court that in all cases where the landlord institutes a suit against the lessee for possession of the land on the basis of a valid notice to quit served on the lessee and does not implead the sub-lessee as a party to the suit, the object of the landlord is to eject the sub-lessee from the land in execution of the decree and such an object is quite legitimate. The decree in such a suit would bind the sub-lessee. This may act harshly on the sub- lessee; but this is a position well understood by him when he took the sub- lease. The law allows this and so the omission cannot be said to be an improper act." (emphasis supplied)"
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5.6 The judgment that has been relied upon by the plaintiff in the case of K. Abdul Samad and others vs. St. Peters Church, Royapuram and another reported in 2024 SCC Online Madras 5493, more particularly para:25, which reads thus:
"25. The case of the appellant that the suit is bad for non-inclusion of sub-tenants as defendants, has no legal basis on the admitted facts. It is the admitted position in law that the appellants cannot create a right more than what they had under the original lease agreement. After the expiry of lease and termination of lease agreement, the defendant has no right to extend the period of tenancy in favour of others. It is well settled that a judgment against chief tenant is binding on the sub-tenant, even though he is not made as party to the suit. It is to be seen that there is no privity of contract between the plaintiff and the sub-tenants or sub-lessees."
In view of the fact that the defendant no.2 is claiming through defendant no.1, and as defendant no.2 is sub-tenant and there is no privity of contract between the plaintiff and defendant no.2, the judgment and decree that had been passed by the trial Court is as per provisions of law and the first appellate Court has rightly appreciated the evidence and passed the judgment and order.
6. In the present case, as the suit has been filed for eviction, the law in the said fact is very clear that defendant No.2 being the sub tenant, defendant No.2 is merely a proper party and not a necessary party and the said position was well understood by defendant No.2 when it took possession as a sub tenant. Moreover, the possession was granted to the defendant No.2 through defendant No.1, and it is not the case of the plaintiff that the defendant No.2 is a tenant of the plaintiff there is no privity of contract between the landlord i.e.
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plaintiff and defendant No.2, therefore, defendant No.2 is merely a proper party in the suit. The fact remains that the plaintiff instituted the suit against defendant No.1 for possession of the property. The object of the plaintiff is to eject the defendants from the suit property even if the sub tenant is not joined in the present suit, the decree in such suit would bind the sub tenant.
7. Therefore, on the basis of overall analysis of the material on record, on the basis of conclusion that has been referred to by the Court below, the Court is of the opinion that there is no material irregularity nor any perversity reflecting which would permit this Court to exercise revisional jurisdiction. The entire reasoning of the Court below are based upon clear analysis of the testimony of the witnesses for either side and also in consonance with documentary material and according to this Court it cannot be said that there is any perversity in the said order. Moreover, while deciding the Revision Application by the High Court in revisional jurisdiction under this Act is confined to find out that findings of fact recorded by the courts below is according to law and does not suffer from any abuse of law. The findings recorded by the Court below if perverse or has been arrived at without consideration of material evidence or such finding is based on no evidence or misreading of evidence or grossly erroneous that, if allowed to stand, would result in gross miscarriage of justice. The same is open for correction because it is not treated as finding according to Law and in that event the High Court, in exercise of its revisional jurisdiction under the Bombay Rent Act, is entitled to set aside the impugned order as being not legal or proper. The High Court can not interfere with the
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finding of facts recorded by the first Appellate Court. The consideration or examination of the evidence by the High Court in revisional jurisdiction under this Act is confined to find-out that finding recorded by the courts below is according to Law and does not suffer from any error of Law and only if the finding of facts recorded by the courts below, is perverse or has been arrived at without consideration of the material evidence or that such finding is based on no evidence, or misreading of the evidence, or is grossly erroneous that, if allow to stand, it would result in gross miscarriage of justice and the same is open to correction as the same is not treated as findings according to Law and in the present case, the finding of facts recorded by the trial Court and the appellate Court is neither perverse nor arrived at without consideration of the material evidence. In the present case, in revisional jurisdiction, the High Court can not exercise its powers as an appellate power to reappreciate or reassess the evidence for coming to a different finding of facts. Revisional jurisdiction is not and can not be equated with the powers of reconsideration of all questions of fact as a court of first appeal.
8. The findings recorded by both the courts below are based on critical appreciation of the evidence led by the parties on record and does not suffer any error or material irregularities. The Court below has rightly come to the conclusion that the tenant has subleted the suit property to other person and, therefore, there was no error committed by the courts below which requires any correction at the hands of the High Court in exercise of revisional jurisdiction.
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9. Under the revisional jurisdiction, the High Court is entitled to satisfy itself as to the correctness or legality or propriety of any decision or order impugned before it as indicated above. In view of the aforesaid facts and proposition of law and in view of the concurrent findings of fact by both the Courts below, since no case is made out to call for any interference in the judgment and order passed by the appellate Court upholding the judgment and decree passed by the trial Court, the present Revision Application requires to be dismissed and it is dismissed accordingly.
(SANJEEV J.THAKER,J) MISHRA AMIT V.
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