In Brief
Three petroleum companies (Bharat Petroleum, Indian Oil, and Hindustan Petroleum) sought to purchase leasehold land under Section 9 of the Madras City Tenants' Protection Act, 1921, after their long-term leases expired and landlords filed ejectment suits. The Supreme Court held that tenants are not entitled to purchase rights under the Act unless they remain in actual physical possession of the building they constructed. Since the companies sub-let the petrol pump structures to dealers and licensees, they lost statutory protection. The Court rejected their appeals and upheld the High Court's orders denying their right to purchase the land.
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