Full Text
RAVI RANJAN CHAUDHARY ..... Petitioner
Through: Mr. L.B.Rai, Advocate.
Through: Mr. Sudhir Nandrajog, Sr. Adv. with Mr. Rishi Awasthi, Adv. for R-1&2.
JUDGMENT
Corporation of India Limited, on license basis, on the terms and conditions contained in Leave and Licence Agreement dated
12.9.2003, for running a Photostat shop, for a period from 1.9.2003 to
3.8.2004. Under Clause 3 of the said agreement, the licensor could extend the term of licence for a further period(s) on the terms and conditions to be decided by the licensor in its sole discretion. The aforesaid licence was extended further and the last Leave and Licence
Agreement between the parties was executed on 14.9.2007, which was valid for a period from 1.9.2007 to 31.8.2010. Clause 3 of the said agreement also provided that the licensor could extend the terms of
2013:DHC:6168 the licence for a further period(s) on the terms and conditions to be decided by the licensor in its sole discretion.
2. Vide public notice dated 12.7.2011, the licensees were advised by the respondent to execute new Leave and License Agreement on or before 20.7.2011. Later, the last date for the purpose was extended to 12.8.2011. Vide letter dated 1.2.2012, the respondent informed the petitioner that his agreement was going to expire on 28.2.2012 and sought his consent for extension with affidavit and clearance of dues mentioned in the said letter. Pending dues, as per the letter dated 1.2.2012 were Rs.4321.15. However, vide letter dated 1.3.2012, the respondent informed the petitioner that his Leave and Licence Agreement and its renewal/ extension had expired on 31.8.2010 and his occupation thereafter was without any authority and right. The petitioner was accordingly called upon to vacate and handover possession of the unit in question within fifteen (15) days of the said letter. Another notice dated 1.3.2012 was issued by the respondent informing all the licensees that the new agreement should be executed on or before 15.3.2012. It was reiterated in the said notice that the agreement will not be executed with such licensee who had not cleared the dues upto 29.2.2012. Responding to the letter dated 1.3.2012 sent to him, the petitioner wrote to the respondent on 15.3.2012, giving his consent for extension of agreement and also informing that he had cleared all the dues upto February-2012.
3. Vide notice dated 20.3.2012, purporting to be issued under Section 4 of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971, the Estate Officer of the respondent called upon the petitioner to show cause why an order of eviction be not passed against him. The petitioner appeared before the Estate Officer on 27.3.2012 and sought fifteen (15) days time to submit a reply. The case of the petitioner is that without holding any proceedings in terms of the provisions of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971, the respondent took forcible possession of the room in question from him on 4.4.2012 and illegally locked the said room. Being aggrieved from his dispossession and non-extension of agreement, the petitioner is before this Court seeking the following reliefs: (a) To pass an appropriate writ order of direction for directing the respondents to extend the lease deed of the petitioner in view of Public Notice dated 1.3.2012 and 20.3.2012 for a period of three years as the respondents have extended the lease deed of others occupants/ allottee of the space/ rooms and also to restore the allotment/ possession of the Unit bearing number 205-B, measuring 5.08 square meters, in Administrative Block of Inland Container Depot, Tughlakabad, New Delhi-110020 back to the petitioner; (b)To pass an appropriate writ order or direction thereby directing the respondent no.2 to allow the petitioner to use the Unit bearing number 205-B, measuring 5.08 square meters, in Administrative Block of Inland Container Depot, Tughlakabad, New Delhi – 110020 which was allotted to the petitioner;
(c) To pass an appropriate writ order or direction thereby quashing/ setting aside the proceedings initiated by the respondents under the provisions of Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971 or any orders passed by the alleged Estate Officer in the said proceedings as the same have been initiated by the respondents without any authority of law.
4. In its counter affidavit, the respondent – Container Corporation of India Limited has stated that after 31.8.2010, the Leave and License granted to the petitioner was not renewed. It is further stated in the said affidavit that finding utter chaotic and confusing situation at its depots, the respondent decided to streamline the business of photocopying in its building and two (2) licensees, including the petitioner were requested to vacate their respective units so that a comprehensive bid/ tender could be floated for undertaking photocopying activities in the building. The respondent according floated tender/ bid for operating a business centre and the petitioner also participated in the said process, though he could not qualify. It is further stated that ultimately a notice was issued to the petitioner and an eviction order was passed by the Estate Officer against him. It is, however, admitted in the counter affidavit that the requisite notification for appointment of Estate Officer was not issued. It is also stated that the petitioner was paying license fees amounting to Rs.2356.05 per month whereas the successful bidder is paying Rs.49,000/- per month running a business centre.
5. The Leave and License Agreement dated 14.9.2007, which is the last agreement between the parties, to the extent it is relevant reads as under:
6. It is an admitted case that no leave and license agreement was executed between the parties after expiry of the leave and license agreement dated 14.9.2007, expired, by efflux of time on 31.8.2010. The petitioner in his letter received by the respondent on 9.8.2010, which is available at page 58 of the paper book, stated that the extension was going to lapse on 31.8.2010 and sought extension of the contract for another period of three (3) years. There is no communication from the respondent to the petitioner expressly extending the leave and license agreement executed between the parties. Though notices dated 12.7.2011 and 23.7.2011 were issued by the respondent to the licensees to execute new agreements, neither any extension has been expressly granted to the petitioner nor any fresh agreement between the parties has been executed after expiry of the leave and license agreement dated 14.9.2007. Though it is stated in the letter dated 1.2.2012 issued by the respondent that the leave and license agreement was going to expire on 28.2.2012, the fact remains that there is no express extension of the said agreement and the stand taken by the respondent in the notice dated 3.3.2012 (page 109 of the paper book) sent to the petitioner was that the said agreement had expired on 31.8.2010 and thereafter, his possession was unauthorized. The letter dated 1.2.2012 appears to be on a standard format, meant for all the licensees since the name of the petitioner as well as the number of his premises has been written by hand on the said letter and so is the amount of pending dues. But, even if it is accepted that the leave and license agreement granted to the petitioner was extended up to 28.2.2012, as is stated in the letter dated 1.2.2012, his possession after 28.2.2012 was wholly without any authority of law.
7. The question as to whether the licensor has a legal right to evict the licensee, on expiry of the terms of the license, came up for consideration before a Full Bench of this Court in Chandu Lal, Bal Krishan, Madan Mohan, Mohan Lal versus MCD [ 1978, RLR 278]. In the aforesaid case, the respondent – Corporation auctioned kiosks on license basis for eleven (11) months. The petitioners did not vacate the said kiosks on expiry of the licensed period and filed a civil suit seeking interim injunction against their dispossession. The following view taken by the Full Bench is relevant for the purpose of this writ petition:
20. The various terms of the deed noted above clearly show that the petitioners were given only physical possession but for which permission their occupation would have been unlawful, while the legal possession all along remained with the Corporation. The term,, of the document dated l1th December, 1973, read in the light of the surrounding circumstances reveal that it operated as a license and that no right or interest in the land was created in favor of the petitioners.
24. The petitioners in the instant petitions were given the liberty to occupy the Kiosk for 11months "for purposes of trade." They were forbidden from parting with possession of the Kiosk or allow any other person to occupy the same or to use any part thereof or to enter into partnership with any other person without the written permission of the Commissioner of the Corporation The liberty to occupy the Kiosk was personal to the petitioners alone. Besides, the petitioners were required "faithfully and diligently" to "comply with all the directions, general or special" that may be given by the Commissioner of the Corporation from time to time. The infringement of any of the terms and conditions of the license was to result in the cancellation of the license. the petitioners having, no claim whatsoever on that account. Further, the license was liable to be cancelled at any time by the Commissioner of the Corporation or other authorised officer without assigning any reason. All these conditions militate against "lease", no interest in the premises passed to the petitioners. The Corporation in the circumstances in enforcing its right of re-entry by self help cannot be said to have taken the law into its own hands or that it was in any manner acting without recourse to law in resuming the possession. The underlying assumption in the case of a license is that the owner continues to be in possession and control of the property. In such circumstances the Court cannot throw its protection round the trespasser having no vestige of any right what so ever, and his unlawful act of continuing to occupy the premises, by the issue of a prohibitory order against the lawful owner.
34. xxThe petitioners being licensees legal possession all along remained with the Corporation. That being so, as held by the Supreme Court in Munshi Ram v. Delhi Administration Air 1968 Sc 702, the Corporation had a right to reenter the premises and rein state itself provided it does not use more force than necessary. Such an entry would be received only as a resistance to an intrusion upon possession which had never been lost. Further, the law does not require a person whose property is forcibly tried to be occupied by trespassers to run away and seek the protection authorities, there being degrading to the human the face being of the nothing more spirit than to run away in peril.
8. In M/s Exclusive Motors Pvt. Ltd. Versus ITDC & Ors [2010 (1) ILR (Del) 1], the respondent – ITDC gave possession of an area adjacent to the out gate of Ashok Hotel to the petitioner for running an office/ showroom and a license deed initially for a period of 3(three) years, was executed. The license was thereafter extended up to 7.4.2008. The license deed contained a renewal clause on enhanced license fee. The petitioner in that case was also permitted to carry out certain additions and alterations on which substantial expenditure was incurred by him. The case of the petitioner in that case was that on 10.5.2008, the officials of respondent – ITDC forcibly entered its show room and forcibly dispossessed the petitioner. It was contended by the petitioner that even a trespasser could be removed only by due process of law. Rejecting the contention of the petitioner, and relying, inter alia, upon Chandu Lal (supra), this Court, inter alia, held as under: