17. Deposit of rent and other charges by the tenant.
(1)Where the landlord does not accept any rent and other charges tendered by the tenant within the time and the manner referred to in section 16 or refuses or neglects to deliver a receipt referred to therein, or where there is a bonafide 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 with the Controller in the prescribed manner.(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 deposited with a description sufficient for identifying the premises;(b)the period for which the rent and other charges 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;(d)the reasons and circumstances for which the application for depositing the rent is made;(e)such other particulars as may be prescribed.(3)On deposit of the rent and other charges being made, the Controller shall send, in the prescribed manner, a copy of the application to the landlord or persons claiming to be entitled to the rent and other charges with an endorsement of the date of the deposit.(4)If an application is made for the withdrawal of any deposit of rent and other charges, the Controller 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 in the manner prescribed:Provided that no order for payment of any deposit of rent and other charges shall be made by the Controller under this sub-section without giving all 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 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 being decided by a court of competent jurisdiction.(5)If, at the time of filing the application under sub-section (4), 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 complains or complain to the Controller that the statements in the tenant's application of the reasons and circumstances which led him to deposit the rent and other charges are untrue, the Controller, 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 other charges, if the Controller is satisfied that the said statements were materially untrue and may order that the fine realised or any part thereof be paid to the landlord as compensation.(6)The Controller may, if upon complaint of the tenant and after giving an opportunity to the landlord of being heard, is satisfied that the landlord has refused to accept the rent through the tenant to him within the time specified in sub-section (1) of Section 16 without reasonable cause, levy on the landlord a penalty which may extend upto an amount equivalent of two months rent and may further order that the penalty realised or any part of it be paid to the tenant as compensation.
