12.3 In Shri Gurdial Singh Vs. Shri Brij Kishore & Ors
1970 RCJ1001 it has been held that
"what is to be seen in each case is whether
the tenant has totally effaced himself and whether
the possession of the third person is exclusively in
his own right and to the ouster of the lessee.
13 Thus from the above said judgments, it is evident
that in order to prove the tenancy or sub tenancy two
ingredients have to be established. Firstly, the sub tenant must
have exclusive right to possess or interest in the premises in
question and secondly, that right must be in lieu of some
consideration or rent. Mere user is not sufficient to infer sub
tenancy or parting with possession. It is for the landlord to
prove that the tenant has parted with legal possession of the
premises. So long as the lessor retains the legal possession he
cannot commit a breach of law by allowing other people to use
the premises. There must be a vesting of possession by the
tenant in another person. So long as the tenant retains the legal
possession, that if he retains the right to claim possession from
Narayan Shamnani Vs Mrs. Chani & Ors. Page 13 of 21
E No. 27/12 14 28.01.2016
the occupant, it would not be possible to say that the tenant had
parted with possession, though the occupant may have been
given the exclusive user, if the tenant has a right to disturb
possession at any point of time, he cannot be said to have
parted with possession. Thus to establish subletting the onus is
on the landlord to prove through evidence that subtenant was
in exclusive possession of the property in question ; that
between the sub tenant and the tenant there was relationship of
lessee and lessor and that possession of the premises in
question was parted with exclusively by the tenant in favour of
the subtenant ( reliance placed on Kala Vs. Madho Parshad
Vaidya ( 1998) 6 SCC 573: (1998 AIR SCW 2947): AIR 1998 SC
2779), Benjamin Premanand Rawade (dead) by LRs Vs. Anil
Joseph Rawade (1998) 9 SCC 688 and Resham Singh Vs.
Raghbir Singh AIR 1999 SCC 3087).
13 Thus from the above said judgments, it is evident
that in order to prove the tenancy or sub tenancy two
ingredients have to be established. Firstly, the sub tenant must
have exclusive right to possess or interest in the premises in
question and secondly, that right must be in lieu of some
consideration or rent. Mere user is not sufficient to infer sub
tenancy or parting with possession. It is for the landlord to
prove that the tenant has parted with legal possession of the
premises. So long as the lessor retains the legal possession he
cannot commit a breach of law by allowing other people to use
the premises. There must be a vesting of possession by the
tenant in another person. So long as the tenant retains the legal
possession, that if he retains the right to claim possession from
Narayan Shamnani Vs Mrs. Chani & Ors. Page 13 of 21
E No. 27/12 14 28.01.2016
the occupant, it would not be possible to say that the tenant had
parted with possession, though the occupant may have been
given the exclusive user, if the tenant has a right to disturb
possession at any point of time, he cannot be said to have
parted with possession. Thus to establish subletting the onus is
on the landlord to prove through evidence that subtenant was
in exclusive possession of the property in question ; that
between the sub tenant and the tenant there was relationship of
lessee and lessor and that possession of the premises in
question was parted with exclusively by the tenant in favour of
the subtenant ( reliance placed on Kala Vs. Madho Parshad
Vaidya ( 1998) 6 SCC 573: (1998 AIR SCW 2947): AIR 1998 SC
2779), Benjamin Premanand Rawade (dead) by LRs Vs. Anil
Joseph Rawade (1998) 9 SCC 688 and Resham Singh Vs.
Raghbir Singh AIR 1999 SCC 3087).
13 Thus from the above said judgments, it is evident
that in order to prove the tenancy or sub tenancy two
ingredients have to be established. Firstly, the sub tenant must
have exclusive right to possess or interest in the premises in
question and secondly, that right must be in lieu of some
consideration or rent. Mere user is not sufficient to infer sub
tenancy or parting with possession. It is for the landlord to
prove that the tenant has parted with legal possession of the
premises. So long as the lessor retains the legal possession he
cannot commit a breach of law by allowing other people to use
the premises. There must be a vesting of possession by the
tenant in another person. So long as the tenant retains the legal
possession, that if he retains the right to claim possession from
Narayan Shamnani Vs Mrs. Chani & Ors. Page 13 of 21
E No. 27/12 14 28.01.2016
the occupant, it would not be possible to say that the tenant had
parted with possession, though the occupant may have been
given the exclusive user, if the tenant has a right to disturb
possession at any point of time, he cannot be said to have
parted with possession. Thus to establish subletting the onus is
on the landlord to prove through evidence that subtenant was
in exclusive possession of the property in question ; that
between the sub tenant and the tenant there was relationship of
lessee and lessor and that possession of the premises in
question was parted with exclusively by the tenant in favour of
the subtenant ( reliance placed on Kala Vs. Madho Parshad
Vaidya ( 1998) 6 SCC 573: (1998 AIR SCW 2947): AIR 1998 SC
2779), Benjamin Premanand Rawade (dead) by LRs Vs. Anil
Joseph Rawade (1998) 9 SCC 688 and Resham Singh Vs.
Raghbir Singh AIR 1999 SCC 3087).