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2024 DIGILAW 318 (JHR)

Shikha Roy, D/o of Late Sailendranath Sarkar v. State of Jharkhand

2024-03-19

ANIL KUMAR CHOUDHARY

body2024
JUDGMENT : Heard the parties. 2. This Writ Petition has been filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India with a prayer for quashing the order dated 20.11.2018 (copy of which has been kept at Annexure-4 of this writ petition) passed by respondent No.2 whereby and where under the respondent No.2 has allowed the H.R.C. Revision No.02 of 2016 and set aside the order passed by the Rent Controller in House Rent Control Case No.14 of 2012 dated 29.01.2013 as also the order dated 16.07.2015 passed by the Deputy Commissioner, East Singhbhum, Jamshedpur in H.R.C. Appeal No.96 of 2012-13 under Section 26 of the Jharkhand Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 2011. 3. The brief fact of the case is that the respondent No.5 is the tenant of the petitioner. The writ petitioner filed House Rent Control Case No.14 of 2012 in the court of House Rent Controller-cum-S.D.M, Dhalbhum at Jamshedpur under Section 5 of the Jharkhand Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 2011 with a prayer that fair rent of the shop premises in occupation of the opposite party described in the schedule be fixed at Rs.15,295/- per month @ Rs.70/- per sq. ft. per month. The House Rent Controller-cum-S.D.M, Dhalbhum at Jamshedpur fixed the fair rent at Rs.8,740/- inter alia on the basis of the report of the Special Officer, Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee, Jamshedpur which stated the actual prevailing rent in respect of nearby accommodations of the locality as on 10.11.2012. The respondent No.5 filed H.R.C. Appeal No.96 of 2012-13 under Section 26 of the Jharkhand Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 2011 which was dismissed by the Deputy Commissioner, East Singhbhum, Jamshedpur. The respondent No.5, thereafter, filed H.R.C. Revision No.02 of 2016 before the Divisional Commissioner, Singhbhum (Kolhan Division), Chaibasa. The learned Commissioner, Singhbhum (Kolhan Division), Chaibasa being the respondent No.2 erroneously was under an impression that the new Act i.e. Jharkhand Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 2011 which came into force on 16th May, 2016 by notification No.8/Noti/101/2016/N. Vi- 2660 is applicable to the facts of the case and considering the various amendments in the new Act, set aside the order passed by the House Rent Controller and the appellate authority being the Deputy Commissioner, East Singbhum. 4. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that an application under Section 5 of the Jharkhand Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 2011 was a case filed under the provisions of the earlier act and the final order was passed by fixing a fair rent of Rs.8,740/- vide order dated 29.01.2013 and by that time the amended Jharkhand Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 2011 had yet to be in force. So, the original order having been passed under the provisions of the old Act, the appellate authority as well as the Revisional authority ought to have seen whether the order passed by the House Rent Controller was in accordance with the old Act and the Commissioner being the respondent No.2 has committed a perversity by setting aside the order of the House Rent Controller and appellate authority being the Deputy Commissioner, East Commissioner on the basis of the provisions of the new Act. Hence, the same is not sustainable in law. It is therefore submitted that the order dated 20.11.2018 (copy of which has been kept at Annexure-4 of this writ petition) passed by respondent No.2 whereby and where under the respondent No.2 has allowed the H.R.C. Revision No.02 of 2016 and set aside the order passed by the Rent Controller in House Rent Control Case No.14 of 2012 dated 29.01.2013 as also the order dated 16.07.2015 passed by the Deputy Commissioner, East Singhbhum, Jamshedpur in H.R.C. Appeal No.96 of 2012-13 under Section 26 of the Jharkhand Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 2011; be quashed and set aside. 5. Learned counsel for the respondent- State defends the order passed by the respondent No.2 and submits that the same is in accordance with law. It is next submitted that as per the report submitted by the Special Officer, Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee, Jamshedpur, the shop in question is situated on Golmuri Main Road at a distance of 10 feet from the main road and the electricity is supplied by JUSCO Limited and the building which was constructed in the year 1964 is in good condition. It is lastly submitted that this Writ Petition, being devoid of any merit, be dismissed. 6. Learned counsel for the respondent No.5 submits that the order passed by the House Rent Controller in increasing the rent of the shop from Rs.1,100/- to Rs.8,740/- is arbitrary in nature. It is lastly submitted that this Writ Petition, being devoid of any merit, be dismissed. 6. Learned counsel for the respondent No.5 submits that the order passed by the House Rent Controller in increasing the rent of the shop from Rs.1,100/- to Rs.8,740/- is arbitrary in nature. The amenities and condition of the shop in question is inferior than the shops which were compared by the House Rent Controller in fixing the fair rent at Rs.8,740/- per month. Hence, it is submitted that the respondent No.2 has not committed any irregularity in reversing the order passed by the House Rent Controller and the Deputy Commissioner, East Singhbhum, Jamshedpur respectively. Hence, it is submitted that this Writ Petition, being without any merit, be dismissed. 7. Having heard the rival submissions made at the Bar and after carefully going through the materials available in the record, it is pertinent to mention here that the question which comes up for consideration before this Court is:- “Whether the respondent No.2 was proper in applying the provision of the Jharkhand Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 2011 which came into force much after passing of the original order passed by the House Rent Controller on 29.01.2013 in reversing the order of the House Rent Controller and that of the Deputy Commissioner?” 8. Now, coming to the facts of the case, undisputedly when the House Rent Controller passed the original order on 29.01.2013 in House Rent Control Case No.14 of 2012 the amended provisions of the Jharkhand Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 2011 was not in force which undisputedly came into force on 16th May, 2016. So, obviously, the order dated 29.01.2013 passed in House Rent Control Case No.14 of 2012 was passed by the House Rent Controller in terms of the terms of the Jharkhand Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 2000. So, the appellate and Revisional authorities were to see whether the House Rent Controller has acted in accordance with the provisions of the Jharkhand Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 2000 as the scope of appeal and that of the revision is to see whether the original court has passed the order in accordance with law as was prevalent at the relevant time; more so when there is no provision of application of Jharkhand Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 2011 with retrospective effect. So, this Court has no hesitation in holding that the respondent No.2 being the Revisional authority has committed a perversity by setting aside the order passed by the House Rent Controller and the appellate authority being the Deputy Commissioner, East Singhbhum, Jamshedpur for their non-adherence to the provisions of the amended Jharkhand Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 2011 as by the time the said original order dated 29.01.2013 was passed, the provisions of the Jharkhand Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 2011 were not in force. Hence, the impugned order dated 20.11.2018 (copy of which has been kept at Annexure-4 of this writ petition) passed by respondent No.2 is not sustainable in law and accordingly the same is quashed and set aside. 9. In the result, this Writ Petition stands allowed and disposed of accordingly.