Holding

The Supreme Court held that the Rent Controller's and Appellate Authority's findings were vitiated and not binding, allowing the High Court to order eviction of the tenant under Section 13(3)(a)(i)(a) of the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act.

Summary

The widowed landlady (respondent) sought eviction of two tenants, including the doctor (appellant), alleging that they had changed the use of the premises to non‑residential purposes and that she required the hall for her own residential needs. The Rent Controller and Appellate Authority found against the landlady on both grounds, but the High Court set aside those findings and ordered eviction of the doctor. The Supreme Court held that the statutory authorities' findings were vitiated by conjecture, lack of evidence and violation of Section 11 of the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, and therefore were not binding on the revisional court. Consequently, the landlady was entitled to evict the doctor under Section 13(3)(a)(i)(a) of the Act. The appeal by the doctor was dismissed.

Issues considered

Whether the High Court was justified in disregarding the concurrent findings of the Rent Controller and Appellate Authority regarding the respondent's bona fide requirement and the appellant's alleged change of user.
Whether, given the finding that the hall was let for non‑residential purposes, the respondent could seek eviction under Section 13(3)(a)(i)(a) of the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949.
Whether the second proviso to Section 13(3)(a) bars a second eviction application after a prior order on the same ground.

Legislation cited

Constitution of Indias. Article 136, s. Article 226
East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949 (as in force in Union Territory of Chandigarh)s. 11, s. 13(3)(a)(i)(a)

Subjects

evictionbona fide requirementchange of userresidential premisesrent restriction actSection 11conversion of residential buildingconcurrent findingsrevisional jurisdictionspecial leave petition

Judgment

VINOD KUMAR ARORA
A
v.
SMT. SURJIT KAUR

JULY 17, 1987

B [SABYASACHI MUKHARJI AND S. NATARAJAN, JJ.)

East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949 (as in force in ,....
Union Territory of Chandigarh): ss. 13(3)(a) and 11-Bona fide re-
quirement and change in user-Eviction of tenant-Concurrent find- -->-"
ings of statutory authorities vitiated-Such findings whether binding on
C revisional court-Conversion of residential premises into non__residen-
tial premises without consent of Rent Controller-Whether tenant
entitled to get over statutory embargo by pleading that landlady was
aware of and consented to change in user. ,.._

Constitution of India, Articles 226 and 136-Jurisdiction of
D Courts-New questions of fact and law-Admissibility of.

The deceased husband of the respondent leased out the entire
portion of his house, except a big hall, to tenant in Chandigarh. He was
then putting up in a Government quarter. After his death, his widow-
the respondent, leased out the hall to foe appellant on April 1, 1981 for
E a period of 11 months on a monthly rent of Rs.650. The Government
quarter which had been allotted to her husband was transferred to the
name of her eldest son. ,

The respondent filed two applications, more or less concurrently,
in February 1982 against tenants of both the portions of the house
F seeking their eviction OL grounds that they had changed the user of the \
premises to non-residential purposes, and that she bona fide required .~
the premises for her own use and occupation. The Rent Controller and
the Appellate Authority held that the first tenant had changed the user
of the premises and ordered his eviction. Insofar as the appellant was
concerned, both the authorities found against the respondent on both
G the grounds and dismissed the action for eviction. The High Court
dismissed the revision preferred by the first tenant, but allowed the one" •
filed by the respondent and ordered the eviction of the second tenant
too. The first tenant abided by the order of eviction and surrendered
possession to the respondent.

H The second tenant, however, appealed by special leave to this
552
VINOD v. SURJIT KAUR 553

-..4. Court. It was contended that when the Rent Controller and the Appel- A
late Authority have rendered concurrent findings of the fact, the High
Court was not entitled to disregard those findings, and come to a diffe-
rent conclusion of its own, that the respondent could not seek recovery
of possessing of the hall by m~ans of an application under s. 13(3)(a)
(i)(a) of the East Punjab Rent Restriction Act, 1949 for residential use
because even of the hall had been let out for residential and non- B
j... residential purposes, the premises would constitute a non-residential
building as per the amended definition under the East Punjab Rent
......_ Restriction (Chandigarh Amendment) Act, 1982, that be was entitled to
raise these questions though they had not been raised earlier because

- they were questions of law, that as per the second proviso to s. 13(3)(a)
of the Act the respondent was not entitled to apply once over again for c
eviction of a tenant on the ground of bona fide requirement after having
obtained an earlier order on the same ground.
>-
Dismissing the appeal,

HELD: 1.1 The findings of the Rent Controller and the Appel- D
late Authority are vitiated by inherent defects. The High Court was,
~ therefore, justified in taking the view that those findings have no bind-
ing force on the revisional court. [565E]

1.2 The rule that when the courts of fact render concurrent find-
ings of fact, the High Court would not be entitled to disregard those E
findings and come to a different ronclusion of its own, would apply
~· where the findings have been renderd with reference to facts.

°" In the instant case, both the statutory authorities have based their
findings on conjectures and surmises and lost sight of relevant pieces of
evidence which have not been controverted. When the evidence of the F
respondent and her son, which has not been challenged, was that the
Government quarter consisted of only one bed room, one store, one
kitchen and one small dining room and nothing more, it has been con-
strued by the authorities as comprising of three bed rooms and held that
as there was enough accommodation for the entire family she was not
likely to vacate it. When the respondent wanted the entire house to be G
• )-vacated by the two tenants so that she and her family members could
occupy the whole house, the authorities have proceeded on the basis
that the respondent was seeking recovery of possession of one ball alone
for her residential needs and held that the entire family could not
manage to live in a single hall. They have failed to take note that the
respondent had contemporaneously initiated proceedings against the H
554 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1987] 3.S.C.R.

A other tenant also for recovery of possession of the remaining portion of .k
the house leased to him. Those proceedings were also before the very
same Rent Controller and the Appellate Authority and they themselves
had ordered the eviction of the other tenant. The respondent had
clearly stated in her evidence that she required the property for her own
use and for her children and that she had filed the ejectment petition
B against the other tenant also. That evidence was not and indeed could
not be challenged. When the respondent had not demanded increase of _..
rent, even as per the admission of the appellant, the authorities have
proceeded on the basis that the respondent was not likely to forego the
~
income derived by way of rent for the hall. They have failed to give due

-
consideration to the respondent's statement that her daughter and sons
were all fully grown up and she wanted to perform their marriages and
c as such she was very much in need of the entire house, including the
hall, for her occupation. All these findings have been rendered on either
non-existent or fictitious material. They cannot, therefore, be cons- A
trued as findings of fact and once they cease to be findings of fact, they
stand denuded of their binding force on the appellate or revisional
D court. [558H; 559A-H]

Hirata! Vallabhram v. Sheth Ka•turbhai lalbhai and others, AIR ~
1967 S.C. 1653, referred to.

2 .1 The finding rendered by the Rent Controller and the Appel-
E late Authority about the purpose for which the hall was let out were
vitiated by several errors of fact and law. The appellant, therefore, was
not entitled to rely on those findings and dispute the respondent's right
to seek his eviction under s. 13(3)(a)(i)(a) of the Act. [563C]

2.2 The pleadings of the parties form the foundation of their case ~
F and it is not open to them to give up the case set out in the pleadings and
propound a new and different case. [560H]

In the instant case, the tenant had averred in his written state-
ment that the hall was taken by him for the purpose of his residence and
for running his clinic but when he entered the witness box he pro-
G pounded a different case that the hall had been taken on lease only for
non-residential purposes. The statutory authorities failed to notice the -1 •
perceptible manner in which the appellant had shifted his defence. [560G]

2.3 Yet another factor which vitiates the findings of the statutory
authorities is that both of them have overlooked s. 11 of the Act and the
H sustainability of any lease transaction entered in contravention of that
VINOD v. SURJIT KAUR 555

provision which interdicts conversion of residential buildings into non-
A
residential ones without the written consent of the Rent Controller. [56IC-D]

In the instant case the parties had not obtained the consent in
writing of the Rent Controller for converting the hall in a residential
building into a clinic. Such being the case the appellant cannot get over
the embargo placed by s. 11 by pleading that the respondent was well B
Ii-- aware of his running a clinic in the hall and that she had not raised
objection at any time to the running of the clinic. [561D·E]

Kamal Arora v. Amar Singh & Ors., [1985] SCC (Supplement-
ary) 481, referred to.

Dr. Gopal Dass Verma v. Dr. S.K. BhardwaJ & Anr., [1962] 2 C
SCR page 678, distinguished.

3. Having taken a categoric stand during the enquiry that he had
taken the hall on rent only for running his clinic and not for his residen·
tial needs as well, the appellailt cannot reprobate and contend that the D
lease of the hall was of a composite nature, to seek the benefit of the
enlarged definition of a 'non-residential building' given in the Amend-
ment Act.

4. A pure question of law can be raised for the first time before
the High Gourt or the Supreme Court even though the question bad not E
been raised before the trial court or the appellate court. But in the
instant case, the contentions advanced by the counsel on the nature of·
user of the hall pertain to mixed questions of fact and law. Moreover
these contentions run counter to the legislative direction contained in
s. 11 of the Act prohibiting conversion of a residential building into a
non-residential one without the written consent of the Rent Controller. F
These contentions cannot, therefore be said to be pure questions of law.

Management of the State of Bank of Hyderabad v. Vasudev Anant
Bhide and others, AIR 1970 SC 196, referred to.

~ t'. S. The eviction proceedings were initiated by the respondent G
against both the tenants concurrently aud not after an interval of time.
As such, merely because the respondent succeeded in one of the peti-
tions and failed in the other it cannot be said that the continuation of the
proceedings in that case in appeal or revision would amount to applying
once over again under the Act to seek eviction of a tenant on the ground
of bona fide requirement. H
556 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1987) 3.S.C.R.

A CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. J.,
1635 of 1985.

From the Judgment and Order dated 21.1.1985 of the Punjab
and Haryana High Court in Civil Revision No. 2227 of 1984.

B V.C. Mahajan, S.K. Bagga and Mrs. S.K. Bagga for the
Appellant.

R.K. Jain, and Bharat Sangal for the Respondent.

c
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

NATARAJAN, J. This appeal by special leave against a judg-
-
ment of the High Court of Pun jab and Haryana pertains to a contest
between a widowed landlady seeking recovery of possession of a
leased premises of the residential needs of herself and her sons and
<laugher on the one hand and an young medical practitioner on the
D other wanting to continue his medical practice in the premises without
being evicted therefrom. The Rent Controller and the Appellate
Authority declined to pass an order of eviction in favour of the respon-
dent but the High Court had reversed their judgments and directed
eviction and hence the present appeal by special leave by the tenant.

E One Iqbal Singh, the deceased husband of the respondent was
the owner of house no. 16, Sector 18-A, Chandigarh. He leased out
the entire portion of the house except a big hall to one Kuldeep Singh
on May 27, 1977. Iqbal Singh died in the year 1980 and on 1.4.81, his
widow viz. the respondent leased out the hall to the appellant on a
mo111hly rent of Rs.650. The lease was for a period of 11 months. The
F terms of the lease were reduced to writing but -the deed was not
registered.

The respondent filed two applications more or less concurrently
(one on 2.2.82 and the other on 3.2.82) against the tenants of both the
portions of the house viz. Kuldeep Singh and the appellant. The evic-
G tion of both the tenants was sought for on the same grounds viz., they
had changed the user of the premises to non-residential purposes and '1 •
secondly the respondent bona fide required the premises for her own
occupation. In addition, in so far as the appellant is concerned, his
eviction was also sought for on the ground of default in payment of
rent from 1.5.81 onwards. It may be mentioned here that the respon-
H dent has three grown up sons and a grown up daughter. During the
VINOD v. SURJIT KAUR (NATARAJAN, J.] 557

o.I.. pendency of the proceedings the size of the family increased to seven A
members due to the eldest son getting married and begetting a child.
The respondent's husband had been allotted a Government quarters
and after his death the allottment was changed to the name of the
eldest son viz. Gurcharanjit Singh who has been examined as AW 2 in
the case.
B
,._ The appellant remitted the entire arrears of rent together with
interest, costs etc. on the first day of the hearing of the case and hence
~.
the prayer for eviction on the ground of non-payment of rent did not
survive for consideration. As regards the other two grounds the appel-

- !ant as well as Kuldeep Singh contended that they had not changed the
user of the respective portions let out to them and secondly the respon-
dent was in occupation of a government quarters and did not there-
c
.A fore, bona fide require the leased premises for her residence. The
Rent Controller and the Appellate Authority held that Kuldeep Singh
had changed the user of the premises and ordered his eviction but in so
far as the appellant is concerned, both the Authorities found against
the respondent on both the grounds and dismissed the action for D

~ eviction.

Against the order of the Appellate Authority two Revision peti-
tions, one by the tenant Kuldeep Singh and the other by the respon-
dent were preferred to the High Court. The High Court dismissed the
Revision preferred by Kuldeep Singh and allowed the Revision filed E
by the respondent and ordered the eviction of the appellant too. While
0 Kuldeep Singh has abided by the order of eviction and surrendered
possession to the respondent of the portion leased to him, the appel-
!ant has come to this Court to impugn the order of the High Court
--i directing his eviction.
F
Before we enter into the merits of the case, it is relevant to state
that the High Court went only into the question of the bona fide re-
quirement of the hall by the respondent for her residential use and did
not go into the question whether the appellant had changed the user of
the hall by running a clinic and had thereby rendered himself liable for
eviction on that ground also. The High Court was of the view that G
~ )' when the respondent's requirement of the hall was a genuine one, the
eviction of the appellant could be ordered on that ground alone and
there was no need or necessity to examine the merits of the second
ground on which also eviction was sought for.

In the light of the arguments advanced by Mr. Mahajan, learned H
558 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1987] 3.S.C.R.

counsel for the appellant, to assail the judgment of the High Court, the .k
A
questions that fall for consideration can be enunciated as under:-

1. Whether the High Court had erred in the exercise of its revi-
sional powers in (a) setting aside the concurrent findings of the
Rent Controller and the Appellate Authority that the respon-
B dent was not bona fide in need of the hall for her residential use
and (b) ignoring the findings of the Rent Controller and the
..,.
Appellate Authority tha.t the appellant had not changed the user
of the hall from residential to non-residential purposes and, as >
such, he cannot be evicted on the ground of mis-user of the hall.

c 2. Whether the High Court has failed to note that in view of the
concurrent findings of the Rent Controller and the Appellate
-
Authority that the hall must be deemed to have been let out for a A.
non-residential purpose. to wit, running a clinic, the appellant
will not be entitled to seek recovery of possession under Section
13(3)(a)(i)(a) of the Act for her residential occupation.
D
We will now take up for consideration the first contention of Mr. ·~
Mahajan. The Rent Controller and the Appellate Authority have re-
jected the case of the respondent that she bona fide required the hall
for her residential needs for the following reasons:-

E 1. The Government quarters allotted to the respondent's son in
which the respondent's family was living consists of three bed rooms
and only a nominal rent was being paid for it and hence the accommo-
dation was sufficient and she was not likely to vacate it.

2. The respondent was not likely to occupy the hall after eviction
F the tenant who was paying an attractive rent of Rs.650 per month.

3. It was inconceivable that the respondent and her family mem-
bers could manage to live in a single hall when their grievance was that
the accommodation in the Government quarters consisting of three
bed rooms was insufficient for their requirements.
G
In so far as this finding is concerned, the High Court was refused
to give any weight or credence to it, even though it was a concurrent
one. In our view, the High Court was fully justified in rejecting the
finding of the Rent Controller and the Appellate Authority, even
though it is a finding of fact, because both the Authorities have based
H their findings on conjectures and surmises and secondly because they
VJNOD v. SURJIT KAUR [NATARAJAN, J.] 559

have lost sight of relevant pieces of evidence which have not been A
controverted. The evidence of the respondent and her son, which has
not been challenged is that the Government Quarters consists of only
one bed room, one store, one kitchen and a small dining room and
nothing more. Strangely enough the Rent Controller and the Appel-
late Authority have proceeded on the assumption that the Govern-
ment Quarters consists of three bed rooms and hence there was '8
,.._ enough accommodation for the entire family. It is, therefore obvious
that they have based their findings on imaginary material and not
facts. Secondly, both the Authority have taken the erroneous view
that the respondent had initiated action only against the appellant to
get possession of the hall in the house and had not initiated action to

- get possession of the other portions of the house from the other C
tenant. Due to this mistake, the Authorities have disbelieved the
respondent and held that the entire family cannot manage to live in a
single hall. They have failed to note that the respondent had contem-
poraneously initiated proceedings against the other tenant Kuldeep
Singh also for recovery of possession of the remaining portion of the
house leased to him. Those proceedings were also before the very D
same Rent Controller and the Appellate Authority and they had
themselves ordered the eviction of Kuldeep Singh. The respondent has
clearly stated in her evidence as follows:-
"The house is of single storey. I require the property for
my own use and for my children. I require ·the entire E
ground floor. I have filed the e jectment petition against the
other tenant also."

• Her evidence was not and indeed could not be challenged. In spite of
all these materials being there, the Rent Controller and the Ap.pellate
Authority have taken a curious view that the respondent and her
family members were wanting one hall alone for their residential needs
and as such their case was not a believable one. In so far as the doubts
entertained about the respondent not beings likely to forego the rent
F

of Rs.650 per month paid by the appellant, the Authorities have failed
to give due consideration to the respondent's statement that her
daughter and sons are all fully grown up and she wanted to perform
their marriages and as such she was very much in need of the entire G
• ,._ house including the hall for her occupation. Having regard to all these
vitiating factors, the High Court was fully entitled to reverse the find-
ings of the Rent Controller and the Appellate Authority and examine
the case of the respondent and give her relief. The so-called findings of
fact suffer from inherent defects which deprive them of their binding
force on the revisional court. H

- - -~-
560 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1987] 3.S.C.R.

A As regards the second limb of the first contention, the Rent
Controller and the Appellate Authority have again committed serious
errors in rendering their decision on the question whether the appel-
lant had changed the user of the hall from residential to non-
residential purpose. The appellant rested her case upon the recital in
the unregistered lease deed that the hall was let out only for residential
B purposes and for no other. The Rent Controller refused to look into
the lease deed because of its non-registration. The Appellate Autho-
rity has taken the view that in spite of the non-registration, the lease
deed can be looked into for collateral purposes out even then the
respondent's case can fare no better, because the respondent has
admitted in her evidence that she knew before the hall was let out that
C the appellant was a doctor and that the purpose of taking the hall on
lease was for running a clinic therein and therefore she must be deemed
to have acquiesed in the change of user of the hall. The Statutory
Authorities have also been influenced by the fact that the payment of
rent of Rs.650 per month was fully indicative that the hall should have
been taken on lease for running a clinic. On the basis of such reasoning
D the Rent Controller and the Appellate Authority have held that the
hall must have been let out for non-residential purposes only i.e. for
running a clinic and hence the charge levelled by the respondent that
the appellant had changed the user of the hall from residential to
non-residential purpose cannot be sustained. As far as this aspect of
the matter is concerned, the Rent Controller and the Appellate
E Authority have both failed to take note of the pleadings of the appel-
lant. In the written statement, the appellant has averred as follows:-

"The demised premises were taken by the answering
respondent from the petitioner for the purposes of his resi-
dence and for running his clinic therein ...... The answer-
F ing respondent is having his residence and clinic in the
premises in dispute and is using the same for the said
purposes, as such."

However, when the appellant entered the witness box, he gave
up the case set out in the written statement and propounded a different
G case that the hall had been taken on lease only for non-residential
purposes. The perceptible manner in which the appellant had shifted "f •
his defence has escaped the notice and consideration of the Statutory
Authorities. Both the Authorities have failed to bear in mind that the
pleadings of the parties from the foundation of their case and it is not
open to them to give up the case set out in the pleadings and propound
H a new and different case. Another failing noticed in the judgments of

•. - r
VINOD v. SURJIT KAUR (NATARAJA"1. J.J 561

the Rent Controller and the Appellate Authority is that they have A
been oblivious to the fact that the respondent had leased out the hall to
the appellant only for a period of 11 months. Such being the case, even
if the respondent had come to know soon after the lease was created
that the appellant was using the hall to run a clinic, she may have
thought it prudent to let the appellant have his way so that she can
recover possession of the hall after 11 months without hitch whereas if B
she began quarrelling with the appellant for his running a clinic, she
would have to be locked up in litigation with him for a considerable
length of time and can obtain possession of the hall only after succeed-
ing in the litigation. Yet another factor which vitiates the findings of
the Rent Controller and the Appellate Authority is that both of them
have over-looked Section 11 of the Act, and the sustainability of any C
lease transaction entered in contravention of Section 11. The legisla-
ture, with a view to ensure adequate housing accommodation for the
people, has interdicted by means of Section 11 the conversion of resi-
dential buildings into non-residential ones without the written consent
of the Rent Controller. Admittedly, in this case the parties had not
obtained the consent in writing of the Rent Controller for converting o·
the hall in a residential building into a clinic. Such being the case, the
appellant cannot get over the embargo placed by Section 11 by plead-
ing that the respondent was well aware of his running a clinic in the
hall and that she had not raised objection at any time to the running of
the clinic. Learned counsel for the appellant referred us to the decision
in Dr. Gopal Das~ Verma v. Dr. S.K. Bharadwaj &Anr., (1962] 2 SCR E
page 678 and argued that the ratio laid down therein would be fully
attracted to the facts of this case. It is true that in the said decision, it
was held that when a leased premises was used by the lessee inci-
dently for professional purposes and that too with the consent of the
landlord, then the case would go out of the purview of Section 13(3)(e)
of the Delhi & Ajmer Rent Control Act 1954 and consequently, the F
landlord would not be entitled to seek eviction of the tenant on the
ground he required the premises for his own residential requirements.
We find the facts in that case to be markedly different and it was the
speciality of the facts which was largely instrumental in persuading this
Court to render its decision in the aforesaid manner. Moreover, the
., Court had not considered the question whether the conversion of a G
residential premises into a non-residential one without the permission
of the Rent Controller was permissible under the Delhi & Ajmer Rent
Control Act and if it was not permitted, now far the contravention
would affect the rights of the parties. In our opinion, the more relevant
decision to be noticed would be Kamal Arora v. Amar Singh & Ors.,
(1985] SCC (Supplementary) 481 where this Court declined to inter- H
562 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1987] 3.S.C.R.

A fere with an order of eviction passed in favour of the landlord as the
Court was of the view that even if the landlord and the tenant had
converted a residential building into a non-residential one by mutual
consent, it would still be violative of Section 11 of the East Punjab
Rent Restriction Act and therefore, the landlord cannot be barred from
seeking recovery of possession of the leased building for his residential
B needs. We arc therefore of the view that the findings of the Rent
Controller and the Appellate Authority about the appellant having
taken the hall on lease only for running a clinic and that he had not
changed the user of the premises have been rendered without refer-
ence to the pleadings and without examining the legality of the appel-
lant's contentions in the light of Section 11 of the Act. We do not
C therefore think the High Court has committed any error in law in
ignoring the findings rendered by the Statutory Authorities about the
purpose for which the hall had been taken on lease.

Learned counsel for the appellant repeatedly contended that
when the Rent Controller and the Appellate Authority have rendered
D concurrent findings of fact, the High Court was not entitled to disre- ~
gard those findings and come to a different conclusion of its own and
cited in this behalf the decision of this Court in Hirata! Vallabhram v.
Sheth Kasturbhai Lalbhai and others, AIR 1967 S.C. 1653. The proposi-
tion of law put forward by the counsel is undoubtedly a well settled one

E
but then it must be remembered that the rule would apply only where
the findings have been rendered with reference to facts and not on the
basis of non-existent material and baseless assumptions. In this case
t
when the Government quarters occupied by the respondent consists of ·
a single bed room alone, it has been construed as comprising of three
bed rooms; when the _respondent wanted the entire house to be
vacated by the two tenants so that she and her family members can
F occupy the whole house, the Authorities have proceeded on the basis
that the respondent was seeking recovery of possession of one hall
alone for her residential needs; when the respondent had not deman-
ded increase of rent, even as per the admission of the appellant, the
Authorities have proceeded on the basis that the respondent was not
likely to forego the income derived by way of rent for the hall etc. In 'f •
G such circumstances it is futile to say that the Rent Controller and the
Appellate Authority have rendered their findings on the basis of hard
and irrefutable facts. On the contrary the findings have been rendered
on either non-existent or fictitious material. They cannot therefore be
construed as findings of fact and once they cease to be findings of fact,
they stand denuded of their binding force on the appellate or revi-
H sional conrt.
VINOD v. SURJIT KAUR [NATARAJAN, J.] 563

Coming now to the second question, Mr. Mahajan argued that A
the respondent cannot seek recovery of possession of the hall by means
of an application under Section 13(3)(a)(i)(a) because the Rent
Controller and the Appellate Authority Lave found that the hall had
been let out only for running a clinic and not for the appellant's resi-
dence. It is true that under the Act, a landlord can apply to the Con-
~ trailer for an order or eviction against a tenant on the ground he B
requires the building for his own occupatioa only if the building is a
residential one and not if it is a non-residential one. Since we have
already held that the findings rendered by the Rent Controller and the
Appellate Authority about the purpose for which the hall was Jet out
are vitiated by several errors of facts and Jaw, the appellant is not
entitled to rely on those findings and dispute the respondent's right to c
seek his eviction under Section 13(3)(a)(i)(a) of the Act. In fact, such a
contention was never put forward before the Statutory Authorities or
before the High Court.

Mr. Mahajan advanced another argument which also had not
been urged before the Statutory Authorities or the High Court. He D
contended that even if the hall had been let out for residential and
non-residential purposes, the premises would constitute a non-resi-
dential building as per the amended definition under the East Punjab
Rent Restriction (Chandigarh Amendment) Act, 1982, and conse-

, quently the respondent cannot seek the eviction of the appellant on
the ground she requires the premises for her residential use. The E
Amendment Act referred to above has enlarged the definition of
"non-residential building", in the parent Act by making "a building let
under a single tenancy for use for the purpose of business or trade and
also for the purpose of residence" to be also a non-residential building.
We do not feel persuaded to examine the merit of this contention
because it had not been raised before the Rent Controller or the Ap- F
pellate Authority or the High Court or even in the grounds of appeal in
the special leave petition. Moreover, the l!ppellant had given up his
case in the written statement that the hall was let out for his residential
use as well as for running a clinic and had taken a categoric stand
during the enquiry that he had taken the hall on rent only for running
' "'1is clinic and not for his residential needs as well. Having taken up G
such a stand the appellant cannot reprobate and contend that the lease
of the hall has of a composite nature and as such the benefit of the
enlarged definition of a 'non-residential building' given in the Amend-
ment Act would endure to his aid in the case.

Mr. Mahajan sought to contend that he was entitled to raise H
564 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1987) 3.S.C.R.

A these questions before this court even though they had not been raised
before the Statutory Authorities or the High Court, because they are
questions of law and can be raised at any time. The learned counsel
placed reliance on the decision rendered in Management of the State
Bank of Hyderabad v. V asudev Anant Bhide and others, AIR 1970 SC
196 to give added weight to his argument. It is true that a pure question
B of law can be raised for the first time before the High Court or this ~
Court even though the question had not been raised before the Trial
Court or the Appellate Court but the position here is that the argu-
ments advanced by the counsel pertain to mixed questions of fact and
law. The contentions have been advanced on the assumption that the
hall had been leased out for non-residential purposes alone or in the
case in appeal or revision would amount to applying once over again
c under the Act to seek eviction of a tenant on the ground of bona fide
requirement.

Over and above all these things, we find that the events which
have taken place subsequently, give added force to the decision ren-
D dered by the High Court. The eviction proceedings against the other
tenant Kuldeep Singh have ended in favour of the respondent and she
has filed affidavits before this Court to state that she has re-occupied
the portion leased out to Kuldeep Singh. The occupation of a portion
of the house by the respondent places her claim for recovery of posses-
sion of the hall on a better footing. This is because of the fact the hall
E does not have an attached bath room or water closet. Consequently
the appellant and the patients visiting his clinic are also making use of
the common bath room and toilet in the house. This would not only
cause inconvenience to the members of the respondent's family but
would also expose them to the risk of infection from the patients using ,.
the bath room and toilet during their visit to the appellant's clinic.
F Though the appellant has averred in his affidavit that he has only a
portable X-Ray unit and he does not have a clinical laboratory to carry
out bloud test, motion test, urine test etc. and that his patients do not
make use of the common bathroom and toilet, there are enough aver-
ments in the counter-affidavits of the alternative for residential as well
as non-residential purposes. Factually the findings on these conten-
G tions have been found to be unacceptable. Moreover, the contentionsf •
run counter to the legislative direction contained in Section 11 of the
Act prohibiting the conversion of a residential building into a non-
residential one without the written consent of the Rent Controller.
These factors stand in the way of our accepting the contentions of the
appellant's counsel as being pure questions of law and, therefore,
H worthy of consideration by us in the appeal.
VINOD v. SURJIT KAUR (NATARAJAN, J.] 565

' .......... It was lastly contended by Mr. Mahajan that as per the second A
proviso to Section 13(3)(a) the respondent is not entitled to apply once
over again for eviction of a tenant on the ground of bona fide require-
ment for owner's occupation after having obtained an earlier order on
the same ground. According to Mr. Mahajan inasmuch as the respon-
dent has obtained an order of eviction against Kuldeep Singh she is
B
precluded by the proviso from seeking eviction of the appellant too on
~ the ground of bona fide requirement. We do not find any merit in this
judgment because it does not take note of relevant facts. We have
. _,,/_, already stated that the eviction proceedings were initiated against both
the tenants concurrently and not after an interval of time. As such

- merely because the respondent succeeded in one of the petitions and
failed in the other, it cannot be argued that the continuation of the
proceedings in that respondent and material in the photos produced by
c
A her of the same board of the appellant's clinic to show that he does
have a clinical laboratory in the hall in question. It does not require
much to see that at least some of the patients visiting the appellant's
clinic would be making use of the common bath-room and toilet and
D
this would certainly cause great inconvenience to the occupants of the
Hence the respondent will be fully justified in asking for the
~ house.eviction of the appellant from the hall let out to him.

For all these reasons, we do not find any merit in the contentions
of the appellant. As we have already stated the findings of the Rent
E

--
Controller and the Appellate Authority are vitiated by the inherent
defects in them and the High Court was, therefore, justified in taking
the view that the findings have no binding force on the revisional
court.

In the result the appeal fails and will stand dismissed. The parties
are directed to bear their respective costs. F

In order to enable the appellant to secure alternate accommoda-
tion for shifting his clinic he is granted time till 31.10.1987 to vacate the
premises subject to the condition he files an undertaking in the usual
terms within three weeks from today failing which the respondent will
be entitled to recover possession in terms of the judgment and decree G
'r of the High Court. ·

P.S.S. Appeal dismissed.