In Brief
The Supreme Court dismissed a tenant's appeal against eviction from a rented shop premises. The landlord had sought eviction on three grounds under the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999: nuisance from food business preparation, illegal subletting, and non-use of the premises for the business purpose (bookshop) for six months prior to the suit. The Court found that while the nuisance and subletting grounds were not properly established due to weak evidence, the non-user ground was established. The premises had been used for bookshop business until July 2005, but thereafter engaged only in unsuccessful garment and fast food ventures. Crucially, during 2006 (the critical period), there was no valid registration certificate. The Court held that eviction was justified based on the tenant's failure to use the premises for the purpose for which it was let.
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