In Brief
Two landlords appealed against a High Court judgment that set aside eviction decrees against tenants in a building at Mahabaleshwar. The landlords sought eviction on grounds of a municipal demolition notice and their bona fide need to construct a new building. The Supreme Court held that while the Court cannot ignore a municipal demolition order, it must independently verify whether demolition is immediately necessary. The Court must also record satisfaction of all statutory conditions under the Rent Control Act, including comparative hardship analysis and adequate disclosure of the landlord's other properties. As the trial and appellate courts failed to apply these mandatory legal tests, the High Court correctly set aside the decrees. Both appeals were dismissed.
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