(27)“protected tenant” means a tenant of any land if he has held it continuously and cultivated it personally for a period of not less than twelve years prior to the appointed day, and includes,—(i)in the Belgaum Area, a person who was recognised to be a protected tenant under section 4A of the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1948, as in force in that Area before the appointed day, and(ii)in the Gulbarga Area, a person who was deemed to be a protected tenant under the Hyderabad Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1950, as in force in that Area before the appointed day;Explanation.—(i) If the tenant came to hold the land by inheritance or succession from another person or if he has held such land as a tenant and is an heir to such other person, the period during which such other person held such land as a tenant shall be included in calculating the period of twelve years under this clause;(ii)If the tenant holding the land held, as a tenant, at any time within the twelve years before the appointed day from the same landlord in the same village, any other land which he cultivated personally, the period during which he held such other land shall be included in calculating the period of twelve years under this clause;(iii)Where any land is held by two or more persons jointly as tenants all such persons shall, if any, one of them cultivated and continues to cultivate such land personally be deemed to be protected tenants in respect of such land;(iv)If a tenant had sublet a land on account of any temporary disability, he shall be deemed, for purposes of his acquiring rights of a protected tenant, to continue in possession and cultivate the land personally for the period of the sub-lease;
