(1)Where the landlord does not accept any rent and other charges payable tendered by the tenant within the time and the manner referred to in section 13 or refuses or neglects to deliver a receipt referred to therein or where there is a bona fide doubt as to the person or persons to whom the rent and other charges are payable, the tenant may deposit such rent and other charges payable with the Rent Authority according to the provisions of sub-section (2) below.(2)The deposit shall be accompanied by an application by the tenant containing the following particulars, namely :-(a)the premises for which the rent and other charges payable are deposited with a description sufficient for identifying the premises;(b)the period for which the rent and other charges payable are deposited;(c)the name and address of the landlord or the person or persons claiming to be entitled to such rent and other charges payable; and(d)the reasons and circumstances for which the application for depositing the rent and other charges payable is made.(3)If an application is made for the withdrawal of any deposit of rent and other charges payable, the Rent Authority shall, if satisfied that the applicant is the person entitled to receive the rent and other charges deposited, order the amount of the rent and other charges to be paid to him :Provided that no order for payment of any deposit of rent and other charges payable shall be made by the Rent Authority under this sub-section without giving all the persons named by the tenant in his application under sub-section (2) as claiming to be entitled to payment of such rent and other charges payable, an opportunity of being heard and such order shall be without prejudice to the rights of such persons to receive such rent and other charges payable being decided by a court of competent jurisdiction.(4)If at the time of filing the application under sub-section (3) but not after the expiry of thirty days from receiving the notice of deposit, the landlord or the person or persons claiming to be entitled to the rent and other charges payable complains or complain to the Rent Authority that the statements in the tenant's application of the reasons and circumstances which led him to deposit the rent and other charges payable are untrue, the Rent Authority, after giving the tenant an opportunity of being heard, may levy, on the tenant a fine which may extend to an amount equal to two months' rent and if the Rent Authority is satisfied that the said statements were materially untrue it may order that a sum out of the fine realised be paid to the landlord as compensation.(5)The Rent Authority may, on the complaint of the tenant and after giving an opportunity to the landlord of being heard, levy on the landlord a fine which may extend to an amount to two months' rent and if the Rent Authority is satisfied that the landlord without any reasonable cause, refused to accept rent and other charges payable though tendered to him within the time referred to in section 13 it may further order that a portion of the fine realised be paid to the tenant as compensation.
