Holding

The High Court correctly included the platform and henpen within the building’s plinth area and, under Section 25, possessed a revisional jurisdiction wider than that of CPC Section 115, permitting it to modify the lower courts' findings.

Summary

The landlords applied under Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1960 for fixation of fair rent of premises occupied by Shaw Wallace & Co. The Rent Controller and the Appellate Authority excluded a 1,752 sq.ft. area described as "platform and henpen" from the building, fixing rent at Rs.22,403 per month. On revision under Section 25, the Madras High Court held that the platform and henpen formed part of the building’s plinth area, raising the rent to Rs.28,000. The tenant appealed, arguing that these structures were not part of the building and that the High Court could not disturb the lower courts’ factual findings. The Supreme Court held that the definition of "building" under the Act includes such appurtenant structures and that the High Court’s revisional jurisdiction under Section 25 is broader than the limited jurisdiction under CPC Section 115, allowing it to modify findings of fact. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed.

Issues considered

Whether the platform and henpen are to be treated as part of the building for the purpose of fixing fair rent under the Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1960.
Whether the High Court, exercising revisional jurisdiction under Section 25 of the Act, can alter the concurrent findings of fact recorded by the trial court and the Appellate Authority.

Legislation cited

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908s. 115
Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1960s. 2(2), s. 25, s. 4

Subjects

fair rentrevisionrevisional jurisdictionbuilding definitionplatform and henpenrent controlTamil Nadu Buildings ActSection 25Section 115 CPC

Judgment

"
+
A SHAW WALLACE AND CO. LTD.
v. ~
GOVINDAS PURUSHOTHAMDAS AND ANR.

FEBRUARY 27, 2001

B [D.P. MOHAPATRA AND SHIVARAJ V. PATIL, JJ.]

Rent Control and Eviction :

Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1960: Sections 54
and 25.
c
Fair rent-Fixation of-lntetference with-In revisional jurisdiction-
Pennissibility of-Trial court and appellate court excluded "platfonn and
henpen" from the plinth area and fixed fair rent accordingly-Tenant admitted
the said "platfonn and henpen" as part ofplinth area-High Court, in revision,
D included the said "platfonn and henpen" in the plinth area and enhanced the
fair rent-Legality of-Held: Revisional jurisdiction vested in the High Court
under S.25 is wider than that vested in S.115 CPC High Court interfered with
the concurrent findings as the. courts belaw ignored the admission of the
tenant-Hence, High Court rightly modified the fair rent as assessed by courts
below-Code of Civil Procedure, S.115.
E
The respondent-landlord filed an application under Section 4 of the
Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1960 for fixation of
fair rent of the building in occupation of the appellant-tenant. The Rent
Controller and the Appellate Authority gave concurrent findings that
"platform and hen pen" were not part of the building and accordingly fixed
F
the fair rent. However, the High Court, in revision, enhanced the fair rent
on the ground that the. said ''platform and henpeu" were part of the >
building.

On behalf of the respondent it was contended that the High Court
G was right in interfering with the order of the appellate court since the
courts below had overlooked the admission of the tenant that the "plat-
form and henpen" were part of the building.
-,__
Dismissing the appeal, the Court

H HELD : 1. For the purpose of assessment of fair rent not only the area
134
SHAW WALLACE AND CO. v. GOVINDAS PURUSHOTHAMDAS 135
on which the building is constructed, but also the land appurtenant to it A
~. subject to the limit prescribed in the Statute and other structure appurte-
nant to the main building and also the amenities described in Schedule). of
the Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1960 are all to be
taken into account. Therefore, the appellant's contention that the ''plat-
form and henpen" are not to be included in calculating the area for the
B
purpose of assessment of fair rent, siRce it cannot be used as a building,
cannot be accepted having regard to the facts found in the case. [139-D]

2.1. Revisionaljuris'diction vested in the High Court under Section 25
of the Act is wider than that vested in Section 115 of the Code of Civil
Procedure, 1908. The High C0urt is entitled to satisfy itself as to the c
regularity of the proceeding or the correctness, legality or propriety of any
decision or order passed therein and if, on examination, it appears to the
High Court that any such decision or order should be modified, annulled,
reversed or remitted for reconsideration, it may pass such orders accord-
ingly. (139-H; 140-A]
D
2.2. The High Court interfered with the orders passed by the courts
below mainly for the reason that the courts below had ignored the specific
averment made by the landlords in their pleadings that the "platform and
henpen" are part of the building, which was admitted by the tenant to be
A'
true. [139-F-G] E
2.3. The High Court, therefore, cannot be faulted for having inter-
fered with the judgments/orders of the courts below and modifying the fair
rent as assessed therein. (140-D]

MS. ?.a/zed v. K. Raghavan, [1999] 1 SCC 439, relied on. F

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 1565 of 2001.

From the Judgment and Order dated 24.12.99 of the Madras High Court
in C.R.P. No. 2317 of 1996.
G
Dr. A.M. Singhvi, Rajesh Malhotra and Dalip Kumar Malhotra for the
__,,. Appellant.

T.L.V. Iyer, P.S. Sudheer, for Mis K.J. John & Co. for the Respondents.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by H
136 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2001] 2 S.C.R.
A D.P. MOHAPATRA, J, Leave granted.
Whether the revisional order dated 24th December, 1999 passed by the
High Court of Madras in C.R.P.No.2317 of 1996 suffers from any serious
illegality which warrants interference by this Court is the question for deter-
mination in this case. Mis.Shaw Wallace & Co. Ltd., the tenant in occupation
B of the premises, has filed this appeal assailing the aforementioned order of
the High Court.

The proceeding was initiated on the application filed by the landlords
- Shri Govindas Purushothamdas and Shri Girdhari Govindas, respondents
herein, for fixation of fair rent of the premises under Section 4 of the Tamil
c Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1960 (hereinafter referred to
as 'the Act'). The controversy in the present proceeding relates to inclusion
of the area of 1752 sq.ft. (approximately) described as 'platform and henpen'
as a part of the building. The Rent Controller and the Appellate Authority
excluded the said area and assessed the fair rent on the basis of plinth area
D of 4850 Sq.ft. The fair rent was calculated as Rs.22403/- per month. In the
revision petition filed by the landlord under Section 25 of the Act, the High
Court set aside the order of the trial Court as co1J.finned by the Appellate
Authority determined Rs.28,000/-in place of Rs.22,403/- per month as fair
rent. The said order is under challenge in this appeal.

E The main thrust of the submissions made by Dr.A.M.Singhvi, learned
senior counsel appearing for the appellant is that the High Court erred in
including the 'henpen and platform' within the plinth area of the building.
According to the learned counsel, those structures cannot be said to be a part
of the building and cannot be utilised as such. He further contended that the
F High Court should not have interfered with the concurrent fmdings of fact
recorded by the trial Court and the Appellate Authority that the area covered
by the 'henpen and platform' is not a part of the building.

Per contra, Shri T.L.V. Iyer, learned senior counsel appearing for the
respondents, contended that in this case the High Court was justified in
G interfering with the order of the trial Court which was confnmed by the
Appellate Court, since the courts below had overlooked the admission of the
landlord in the pleadings that the plinth area of the structure in occupation
of the tenant is 6602 Sq.ft. (not 4850 Sq.ft.).

Before proceeding to consider the merits of the contentions raised by
H learned counsel for the parties, it will be convenient to notice some provisions
•
SHAW WALLACE AND CO. v. GOVINDAS PURUSHOTHAMDAS [MOHAPATRA, J.l 137
of the Act which are relevant for the case. Section 2(2) of the Act, which A
~ defines "building" reads as follows:

"2(2) "building" means any building or hut or part of a building or
hut, let or to be let separately for residential or non-residential
purposes and includes-
B
(a) the garden, grounds and out-houses, if any, appurtenant to such
building, hut or part of such building or hut and let or to be let
along with such building or hut,

(b) any furniture supplied by the landlord for use in such building
or part of a building or hut, but does not include a room in a C
hotel or boarding house;".

Section 4, which deals with the fixation of fair rent reads:

"4. Fixation of fair rent. • (!) The Controller shall on application
made by the tenant or the landlord of a building and after holding such D
enquiry as he tl1inks fit, fix tl1e fair rent for such building in accord-
ance with the principles set out in the following sub- sections.

(2) The fair rent for residential building shall be nine per cent gross
return per annum on the total cost of such building.
E
(3) The fair rent for any non-residential building shall be twelve per
cent gross return per annum on the total cost of such building.

(4) The total cost referred to in sub-section '(2) and sub-section (3)
shall consist of the market value of the site in which the building is
constructed, the cost of construction of the building and the cost of
F
provision of anyone or more of the amenities specified in Schedule
I as on the date of application for fixation of fair rent.

Provided that while calculating the market value of the site in which
the building is constructed, the Contmller shall take into account only
that ponion of the site on which the building is constructed and of G
a po11ion upto fifty per cent, thereof of the vacant land, if any,
appu11enant to such building the excess ponion of the vacant land,
being treated as amenity.

Provided further that the cost of provision of amenities specified
in Schedule I shall not exceed . H
138 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2001] 2 S.C.R.
A (i) in the case of any residential building, fifteen per cent; and

(ii) io the case of any non-residential buildiog, twenty-five per
cent of the cost of site io which the building is constructed, and the
cost of construction of the building as detennined under this section.

B (5)(a) the cost of construction of the building including cost of
iotemal water-supply, sanitary and electrical iostallations shall be
detennined with due regard to the rates adopted for the purpose of
estimation by the Public Works Department of the Government for
the area concerned. The Controller may, io appropriate cases, allow
or disallow an amount not exceediog thirty per cent, of constmction
c having regard to the nature of construction of the building.

(b) The Controller shall deduct from the cost of construction deter-
mioed io the manner specified in clause (a). depreciation, calculated
at the rates specified io Schedule IL"
D [Emphasis supplied]

The other statutory provisions, which is relevant, is Section 25(1) which .
provides for a revision to the High Court. The provision is quoied hereunder:

"25. Revision.- (!) The High Court may, on the application of any
person aggrieved by an order of the Appellate Authority, call for and
E
examine the record of the Appellate Authority, to satisfy itself as to
the regularity of such proceeding or the correctness, legality or
propriety of any decision or onier passed therein and if, in any case,
it appears to the High Court that any such decision or onler should
be modified, annulled, reversed or remitted for reconsideration, it
F may pass orders accordingly."
(Emphasis supplied]

Schedule I io the Act enumerates the amenities withio the meaniog of
Section 4 of the Act.

G From a plain reading of the statutory provisions quoted above, it is clear
that the expression "building" iocludes any buildiog with the garden, grounds
and out-houses appurtenant to such building, or part of such building let or
to be let along with such building. In view of the expansive definition of the
term, any structure which is part of the premises let out or to be let out comes
H within the purview of "building". This position becomes further clear on
SHAW WALLACE AND CO. v. GOVINDAS PURUSHOTHAMDAS (MOHAPATRA, J.] 139
reading sub-section (4) of Section 4 wherein it is provided that the total cost A
referred to in sub-section (2) and sub-section (3) shall consist of the market
valne of the site in which the building is constrncted, the cost of construction
of the building and the cost of provision of anyone or more of the amenities
specified in Schedule I as on the date of application for fixation of fair rent.
In the first proviso to the sub- section (4) it is laid down while calculating
B
the market value of the site in which the building is constructed, the Control-
ler shall take into account only that por'Jon of the site on which the building
is constructed and of a portion upto fifty per cent thereof the vacant land, if
any, appurtenant to such building, the excess portion of the vacant land, being
treated as amenity.
c
Reading the two provisions together, it is clear to us that for the purpose
of assessment of fair rent not only the area on which the building is con-
structed, but also the land appurtenant to it subject to the limit prescribed in
the Statute and other structure appurtenant to the main building and also the
amenities described in Schedule I of the Act are all to be taken into account.
Therefore, the contention raised by Dr.Singhvi that the 'platfom1 and the D
henpen' are not to be included in calculating the area for the purpose of
assessment of fair rent, since it cannot be used as a building, cannot he
accepted having regard to the facts found in the case. The High Court, in our
considered view, did not commit any iliegality in including the said structures
within the plinth area for the purpose of fixation of fair rent. E
Coming to the question of revisional jurisdiction of the High Court
under Section 25 of the Act, the contention raised by Dr.Singhvi is that the
limited jurisdiction vested in the said Section does not permit the High Court
to disturb concurrent findings of fact recorded by the courts below.
F
From the judgment/order of the High Court it is manifest that the HiJh
Court felt inclined to interfere with the orders passed by the Coorts b<)low
mainly for the reason that the Courts below had ignored the specific averinent
made by the landlords in their pleadings that the total plinth area is 6602' Sq.ft.
which was admitted by the tenant to be true in para 12 of its co1mter affidavit.
The question, therefore, is the High Court not have the power to disturb the
G
findings of fact concurrently recorded by the Courts below in such circum-
stance?

On a plain reading of Section 25 of the Act, it is clear that the revisional
jurisdiction vested in the High Court under that Section is wider than Section H
140 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2001] 2 S.C.R.
A 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The High Court is entitled to satisfy itself
as to the regularity of the proceeding of the correctness, legality or prop1iety
of any decision or order passed therein and if, on examination, it appears to )
the High Court that any such decision or order should be modified, aunullcd,
reversed or remitted for reconsideration, it may pass such orders accordingly.

B In the case of M.S. 7.ahed v. K. Raghavan reported in, [1999] I SCC
439, this Court, interpreting Section 50 of the Kamataka Rent Control Act,
1961 which is pari materia to Section 25 of the Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease
and Rent Control) Act, 1960, held that it is within tl1e scope of revisional ).
jurisdiction of the High Court to interfere with the findings of fact, illegally
C or inco1Tectly aiTived at.

In the present case, the trial Court and the Appellate Court had not only
ignored the admission of the landlord in the pleadings but also misread and
misconstt11ed the provisions of the Act. In the circumstances, the High Court
cannot be faulted for having interfered witl1 the judgments/orders of the
D Courts belo\V and modifying the fair rent as assessed therein. The contention
raised by Dr.Singh vi questioning the jurisdiction of the High Court has also
to be negatived.

In the result, the appeal being devoid of merit, is dismissed with costs.
Hearing fee is assessed at Rs.10,000/-.
E
On the prayer made by Dr.A.M.Singhvi, learned senior counsel, the
appelJant is granted one 1nontJ1 time to pay tl1e arrear rent due in compliance
of the order passed by the High Court.

V.S.S. Appeal dismissed.
F