In Brief
The appellants, heirs of a former tenant, challenged an eviction order by claiming they owned the rented shop (Mulgi) through their predecessor's alleged purchase from the original owner. The landlord (respondent) produced a registered sale deed in his favor from the same vendor. The courts below found the appellants' title denial malafide and upheld eviction for non-payment of rent and the landlord's genuine personal business need. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, holding that bare oral assertion without documentary evidence cannot defeat a registered deed; a valid transfer under the Transfer of Property Act vests landlord rights in the new owner; and the landlord's requirement for personal occupation constituted bonafide ground for eviction.
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