21. Sub-section (3) provides for consequences of non-payment of rent
i.e. striking off the defence against the delivery of the possession and to
proceed with the hearing of the suit. Such provision is materially
different from sub-sections (2-A) and (2-B) which was being examined
by this Court in B.P. Khemka [B.P. Khemka (P) Ltd. v. Birendra Kumar
Bhowmick, (1987) 2 SCC 407] . Sub-sections (2-A) and (2-B) of Section
17 of the 1956 Act confer unfettered power on the court to extend the
period of deposit of rent, which is circumscribed by the proviso to
Section 7(2) and sub-section (3) of Section 7 of the Act. Therefore, the
provisions of sub-section (2) are mandatory and required to be
scrupulously followed by the tenant, if the tenant has to avoid the
eviction on account of non-payment of arrears of rent under Section 6 of
the Act. There is an outer limit for extension of time to deposit of arrears
of rent in terms of the proviso to sub-section (2) of Section 7 of the Act.
18. This Special Bench of this Court in the case of M/s. B.P. Khemka Private
Limited Vs. Birendra Kumar Bhowmick (supra) though decided it as a unnecessary
pursue about applicability of Section 5 of the Limitation Act to extend the time for
deposit, under Section 17(1) & (2) of the Old Act as was held by Single Bench of
this court in the case of M/s. Darka Das Vs. Raghu Prasad reported in 1987(1) CLJ
479, however, the Division Bench of this Court in the referential case of Subrata
Mukherjee Vs. Bisakha Das (supra) answered in paragraphs 46 and 47 which are
set out:-
16. We proceed to discuss the ratio in Amit
Kumar Chamariya (supra). On institution of a
suit by the landlord for eviction on any of the
grounds referred to in Section 6 of the said Act,
the tenant, subject to the provisions of sub-
section (2) of the Section 7, was liable to pay to
the landlord or deposit with the civil judge all
arrears of rent calculated at the rate at which it
was last paid and upto the end of the month
previous to that in which the payment was made,
together with interest at the rate of 10% per
annum. Such payment or deposit was to be
made within one month from the service of
summons on the tenant or when the tenant
appeared in the suit without summons being
served, within one month from his appearance.
Thereafter, the tenant was enjoined by law, to
continue to pay to the landlord or deposit with
the civil judge a sum equivalent to the rent at
that rate, month by month within 15th of each
succeeding month. In case of any dispute as to
the amount of rent payable by the tenant, the
tenant was liable to deposit with the civil judge,
within the time specified in the sub-section, the
amount admitted by him to be due from him
together with an application for determination of
the rent payable. No such deposit could be
accepted unless it was accompanied by an
application for determination of the rent payable.
On receipt of the application, the civil judge,
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having regard to the rate at which the rent was
last paid and the period for which default may
have been made by the tenant, determine the
dispute and pass an order within a period not
exceeding one year, specifying the amount, if
any, due from the tenant and thereupon the
tenant was liable to pay to the landlord within
one month from the date of such order, the
amount so specified in the order along with the
monthly rent at the rate so determined."
In Bijay Kumar Singh (supra) it
was said that tenant will not be able to take
recourse to section 5 of the Limitation Act as it
is not an application alone which is required to
be filed by the tenant but the tenant has to
deposit admitted arrears as well."
In nutshell, it could be concluded that the stream of a line of view that Section 5 of the Limitation Act could be applied and delay could be condoned in default of the compliance of Section 13(4) of the Act even beyond the statutory period fixed by the said provision itself which was built on the basis of B.P. Khemka (P) Ltd.,'s case (supra), and Gopal Dass's case (supra), has travelled a full circle culminating into the authoritative pronouncement by the Hon'ble Apex Court in Nasiruddin's case (supra).
16. We proceed to discuss the ratio in Amit
Kumar Chamariya (supra). On institution of a
suit by the landlord for eviction on any of the
grounds referred to in Section 6 of the said Act,
the tenant, subject to the provisions of sub-
section (2) of the Section 7, was liable to pay to
the landlord or deposit with the civil judge all
arrears of rent calculated at the rate at which it
was last paid and upto the end of the month
previous to that in which the payment was made,
together with interest at the rate of 10% per
annum. Such payment or deposit was to be
made within one month from the service of
summons on the tenant or when the tenant
appeared in the suit without summons being
served, within one month from his appearance.
Thereafter, the tenant was enjoined by law, to
continue to pay to the landlord or deposit with
the civil judge a sum equivalent to the rent at
that rate, month by month within 15th of each
succeeding month. In case of any dispute as to
the amount of rent payable by the tenant, the
tenant was liable to deposit with the civil judge,
within the time specified in the sub-section, the
amount admitted by him to be due from him
together with an application for determination of
the rent payable. No such deposit could be
accepted unless it was accompanied by an
application for determination of the rent payable.
On receipt of the application, the civil judge,
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2025:CHC-AS:2091
having regard to the rate at which the rent was
last paid and the period for which default may
have been made by the tenant, determine the
dispute and pass an order within a period not
exceeding one year, specifying the amount, if
any, due from the tenant and thereupon the
tenant was liable to pay to the landlord within
one month from the date of such order, the
amount so specified in the order along with the
monthly rent at the rate so determined."