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Sri Swami Krishnanand Govinda Nand v. M/s.m.d.oswal Hosiery(regd.)

Sri Swami Krishnanand Govinda Nand
v.
M/s.m.d.oswal Hosiery(regd.)

(Supreme Court Of India)

Civil Appeal No. 5062 Of 1997 In S.A. No. 275 Of 1980 | 20-02-2002


1. This is an appeal from the judgment and order of the High Court of Delhi allowing the respondents second Appeal Order No. 275 of 1980 on December 2, 1981.

2. The appellant-landlord of the suit premises is a registered society under the Societies Registration Act. It filed application against the respondent-tenant for his eviction from the suit premises under Clause (d) of Section 22 of the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958(for short " the") on the ground that the premises are required bonafide for furtherance its activities. The respondent filed written statement denying both that the appellant is an institution within the meaning of that provision and that it required the premises bonafide for furtherance of its activities. It appears that when the case was posted for trial, the learned counsel appearing for the respondent conceded the facts disputed by the respondent in his written statement before the court. That statement of the advocate was recorded by the Addl. Rent Controller thus: "The respondents learned counsel has admitted the ground of eviction and also the fact that applicant is a public charitable institution and for that purpose it required the premises". On that basis the eviction application filed by the appellant was allowed on 24th March, 1973. Within a week thereafter the respondent filed a review petition which was dismissed. He then filed a writ petition challenging the validity of the said order of eviction but that was dismissed as withdrawn on July 22, 1974. Thereafter, the respondent filed an appeal against the said order of eviction before the Rent Control Tribunal but it was also dismissed on September 5, 1977. Be that as it may, when the appellant filed a petition for execution of order of eviction, the respondent raised objections both under Section 40 of theas well as under Section 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure. By separate order both the objection petitions were dismissed on April 5, 1980. That order was challenged by the respondent unsuccessfully before the Rent Control Tribunal. Dis-satisfied with order of the Tribunal dated May 16, 1980, dismissing the appeal, the respondent filed the aforementioned second appeal which was allowed on December 2, 1981. It is against that order of the High Court that the present appeal is filed by special leave.

3. Mr. Jaspal Singh, learned senior counsel, appearing for the appellant, has vehemently contended that statement made by the learned counsel of the respondent across the Bar is indeed an admission of the party and, therefore, the Addl. Rent Controller recorded his satisfaction on the basis of the admission; the order of the Addl. Rent Controller cannot thereby be treated as being without jurisdiction. We are afraid we cannot accede to the contention of the learned counsel. Whether the appellant is an institution within the meaning of Section 22 of theand whether it required bonafide the premises for furtherance of its activities, are questions touching the jurisdiction of the Addl. Rent controller. He can record his satisfaction only when he holds on these questions in favour of the appellant. For so holding there must be material on record to support his satisfaction otherwise the satisfaction not based on any material or based on irrelevant material, would be vitiated and any order passed on such a satisfaction will be without jurisdiction. There can be no doubt that admission of a party is a relevant material. But can statement made by the learned counsel of a party across the Bar be treated as admission of the party Having regard to the requirements of Section 18 of the Evidence Act, on the facts of this case, on our view, the aforementioned statement of the counsel of the respondent can not be accepted as an admission so as to bind the respondents Excluding that statement from consideration there was thus no material before the Addl. Rent Controller to record his satisfaction within the meaning of Clauses (d) of Section 22 of the. It follows that the order or eviction was without jurisdiction.

4. The learned counsel next contended that the statement of the learned counsel for the respondent should be treated as a compromise as the court granted five years time to the respondent for vacating the suit premises. In our view, this contention has to be rejected. The compromise like a contract postulates consensus between two parties. A statement of a counsel conceding the grounds of eviction and seeking some time for the respondent to vacated the premises, can not be termed a compromise.

5. In view of the above discussion, we do not find any reason to interfere with the order under challenge. The appeal is dismissed with costs.

Advocates List

For the Appellant Jaspal Singh, Senior Advocate with Shiv Prakash Pandey, Advocate. For the Respondent Rishi Kesh, Advocate.

For Petitioner
  • Shekhar Naphade
  • Mahesh Agrawal
  • Tarun Dua
For Respondent
  • S. Vani
  • B. Sunita Rao
  • Sushil Kumar Pathak

Bench List

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SYED SHAH MOHAMMED QUADRI

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE DORAISWAMY RAJU

Eq Citation

2002 -3-LW 1

96 (2002) DLT 320

2002 -3-LW 31

2002 (62) DRJ 236

[2002] 2 SCR 1

(2002) 3 SCC 39

AIR 2002 SC 1162

(2002) 2 MLJ 120 (SC)

2002 (1) RCR (RENT) 334

JT 2002 (2) SC 308

2002 (2) SCALE 302

LQ/SC/2002/258

HeadNote

Rent Control and Eviction — Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958 (27 of 1958), S. 22(d) — Eviction of tenant — Jurisdiction of Rent Controller to pass order of eviction — Requirement of material on record to support his satisfaction — Admission of a party — Whether statement made by counsel of a party across the Bar can be treated as admission of party — Admission, if made by counsel of a party, not binding on party — Counsel of respondent conceding grounds of eviction and seeking some time for respondent to vacate premises, held, cannot be termed as a compromise — Hence, order of eviction passed by Rent Controller was without jurisdiction — Civil Procedure Code, 1908 — Or. 23 R. 3