RAJA INDUSTRIES LIMITED vs Malik IFTIKHAR AHMED
This is a petition for leave to appeal directed against the judgment of the Lahore High Court, which affirmed the concurrent findings of fact regarding the personal requirement of the respondent landlord for ejectment of the petitioner tenant. The core legal question was whether the concurrent findings of fact on personal requirement could be successfully assailed and whether a subsequently discovered fact regarding the landlord's possession of another shop could be raised in the present petition without having challenged the separate order dismissing an application under section 12(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure filed on that ground. The Supreme Court held that since the order dismissing the application under section 12(2) C.P.C. had attained finality due to lack of a separate appeal, the new factual plea could not be entertained in a petition directed solely against the main judgment. The Court accordingly declined leave to appeal while granting the petitioner six months to vacate the premises upon certain conditions.
- Whether a factual plea regarding the suppression of material facts can be raised in a petition for leave to appeal when the order dismissing an application under section 12(2) C.P.C. on that ground has attained finality?
- Can concurrent findings of fact on personal requirement be assailed without invoking additional facts that were not made the subject of a direct appeal?
- Section 12(2), Code of Civil Procedure 1908
ORDER
' AJMAL MIAN, J.---This is a petition for leave to appeal against the judgment dated 4-4-1996 passed by a learned Single Judge of the Lahore High Court in First Appeal from Order No,113 of 1995, filed by the petitioner against the ejectment order dated 18-5-995 of the learned Rent Controller, Sialkot Cantt., on the ground of respondent's personal requirement, dismissing the same and thus affirming the above finding of fact in favour of the respondent. The petitioner/tenant has, therefore, filed the present petition for leave to appeal.
2. In support of the above petition Mr.S.M. Zafar, learned Senior Advocate Supreme Court for the petitioner, has invited our attention to an order dated 3-6-1996 passed by the same learned Single Judge on petitioner's Civil Miscellaneous No, 343-C of 1996 filed by them in the aforesaid First Appeal from Order under section 12(2), C.P.C. For setting aside the judgment dated 4-4-1996 of the learned Single Judge in First Appeal from Order No,133 of 1995 on the ground that the petitioners had learnt that Shop No,172 on the same road was in occupation of the respondent/landlord, who inherited the same from his mother and this fact was suppressed by him in the proceedings before the Rent Controller as well as before the High Court. The above application was dismissed by the learned Single Judge by his above order in limine.
3. We enquired from Mr S.M. Zafar, as to whether any petition for leave to appeal was filed against the order dated 3-6-1996. He candidly submitted that no petition was filed. In this view of the matter, the above order had acquired finality. The petitioners, have, raised the above plea in the present petition which cannot be done as it is solely directed against the aforesaid judgment dated 4-4-1996, Confronted with the above legal position, Mr, S.M. Zafar has fairly conceded that it is not possible for him to show that the concurrent finding on the above question of fact of personal requirement is not sustainable without invoking in aid the above additional fact discovered by the petitioners about the possession of Shop No,172. He, therefore, requested for reasonable time to vacate possession under the instructions of his clients.
4. We decline leave but grant six months' time to the petitioners from today on the condition that they shall continue to pay rent regularly. Additionally, if the petitioners fail to hand over the vacant possession of the suit shop on the expiry of above period, the learned Rent Controller shall issue writ of possession with Police aid without any further notice to the petitioners.