In Brief
Ambika Savaria and others sought to evict tenants Sanjay Sharma and others from a residential property in Raigarh on grounds of bona fide need under the Chhattisgarh Accommodation Control Act 1961. The trial and lower appellate courts decreed eviction, but the High Court reversed, holding that the landlords had not proven ownership as statutorily required. The Supreme Court held that the tenant was estopped under Section 116 of the Indian Evidence Act from denying the landlord's title, having acknowledged it through conduct (paying rent and accepting leases in their name). The Court restored the eviction orders and granted the tenants until 31 August 2017 to vacate.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.