1989 PLP 1908 (MLD)

The findings as to the bona fides and reasonableness of the requirement of the appellant stand concluded by the concurrent findings of the statutory authorities. Indeed that was not also the ground on which the order of eviction was assailed before the High Court in the writ petition.

4. Before the High Court what was urged by respondent 1 and accepted by the High Curt was the contention that the severance of the reversion and assignment bf that part of the reversion in respect of the suit shop in favour of the appellant did not clothe the appellant with the right to seek eviction without the other lessor joining in the action, arid that in claiming possession of a part of the subject-matter of the original lease the appellant was seeking to split the integrity and unity of the tenancy, which according to respondent 1 was impermissible in law. The High Court does not appear to have considered the effect of the partition decree between erstwhile co-owners and of the appellant, consequently, having become the exclusive owner of one of the shops. The reasoning that appears to have commended itself to the High Court in setting aside the order made by the Courts below granting possession is somewhat on these lines: " .But unless such a situation has been created with the consent of all of them, the effect of transfer of a portion. of the accommodation would be that, in place of one lessor would be substituted two lessors, even though of defined portions of the accommodation let out to the lessee. It cannot be denied that one of the two joint lessors cannot institute a suit for the ejectment or apply for permission to file such a suit in respect of .a portion of the accommodation." . . " .In other words even now as a result of transfer a part of the building under tenancy the splitting up of the tenancy cannot be permitted unless the tenant has agreed to it. On this view of the matter, the impugned orders arc; liable to be quashed."

5. It is trite proposition that a. landlord cannot split the unity and integrity of the tenancy and recover possession of part of the demised premises from the tenant. But section 109, T.P. Act, provides a statutory exception to this rule and enables an assignee of a part of the reversion to exercise all the rights of the landlord in respect of the portion respecting which the reversion is so assigned subject, of course, to the other covenant running with the land. This is the true effect of the shall possess all the rights of the lessor words as to the property or part transferred ..occurring in S. 109, T.P. Act. There is no need for a consensual attornment. The attornment is brought about by operation of law. The limitation on the right of the landlord against splitting up of the integrity of the tenancy, inhering in the inhibitions of his own contract, does not visit the assignee of the part of the reversion. There is no need for the consent of the tenant for the severancey of the reversion and the assignment of the part so severed. Reiteration proposition is too well settled to require any further elucidation or reiteration. Suffice it to refer to the succinct statement of the law by Wallis, C.J. in Kannyan v, Alikutty, AIR 1920 Mad. 838 at p. 840 (FB): ".......... A lessor cannot give a tenant notice to quit a part of the holding only and then sue to eject him from such part only, as pointed out quite recently by the Priyy Council in Harihar Banerji v. Ramasashi Roy (AIR .918 C 102). Consequently, if the suit is brought by the original lessor the, answer to the question referred to us must be in the negative because such a suit does not lie at all. Other considerations, however,, arise where as in the present case, the original lessor has parted in whole or in part with the reversion in part of the demised premises. Under the general law such an assignment effects a severance, and entitles the assignee on the expiry of the term to eject the tenant from the land covered by the assignment."

6. Shri Uma Dutta, learned counsel for the respondent tenant, however, relied on the pronouncement of this Court in Badri Narain Jha v. Rameshwar Dayal Singh, 1951 SCR 153 (159): (AIR 1951 SC 186 at p. 189), to support his contention that severance and assignment of a part of the reversion would not affect the integrity of the lease. We are afraid, reliance on this case is somewhat misplaced. This was a converse case where this Court considered the effect of splitting up of the interest of the lessees, inter se. In that context, Mahajan, J. said: "... An inter se partition of the mokarrari interest amongst the mokarraridars as alleged by the plaintiffs could not affect their liability qua the lessor for the payment of the whole rent, as several tenants of a tenancy in law constitute but a single tenant, and qua the landlord they constitute one person, each constituent part of which possesses certain common rights in the whole and is liable to discharge common obligations in its entirety .......... ........................................... "There is a privity of the estate between the tenant and the landlord in the whole of the leasehold and he is- liable for all the covenants running with the land. In law, therefore, an inter se partition of the mokarrari interest could not affect the integrity of the lease " This is an altogether different proposition.

7. The next contention of Shri Uma Dutta is that, at all events, what flows from a `transfer' under S. 5 read with S. 109, T.P. Act, cannot be predicated of a partition as partition is no `transfer'. It is true that a partition is not actually a transfer of property but would only signify the surrender of a portion of a joint right in exchange for a, similar right from the other co-sharer or co-sharers. However, some decisions of the High Courts tend to the view that even a case of partition is covered by S. 109, and that, in any event, even if the section does not in terms apply the principle of the section is applicable as embodying a rule of justice, equity and good conscience. We need not go into this question in this case. Suffice it to say that the same High Court itself, from whose decision this present appeal arises, in Ram Chandra Singh v. Ram Saran, AIR 1978 All. 173 has taken the view that S. 109, Transfer of Property Act, is attracted to the case of petitioner also that was a decision which the learned Judge in the present case should have considered himself bound by unless there was a pronouncement of a larger Bench to contrary or unless the learned Judge himself differed from the earlier view in which event the matter had to go before a Division Bench. The correctness of the decision in Ram Chandra Singh's case was not assailed before us and, therefore, we do not feel called upon to pronounce on it. We should, we think, apply the same rule to this case. Several other High Courts have also taken this view though, however, some decisions have been content to rest the conclusion on the general principle underlying S. 109, T.P. Act, as a rule of justice, equity and good conscience.

8. In the result, this appeal is allowed, the order of the High Court his set aside and that of the IIIth Additional District Judge, Muzaffarnagar, in Rent Control Appeal No. 48 of 1978 restored. In the circumstances of this case, there will be no order as to costs. M.BA./131/F C Appeal allowed.