In Brief
The appellants challenged a High Court decision upholding a civil court decree for possession of a rented shop. The decree was passed after rent control legislation (Rajasthan Rent Control Act, 2001) became applicable to the area, though the suit was filed before. The Supreme Court held that rights of parties crystallize on the date a suit is filed; the law applicable then continues to govern the proceedings. Since the suit was instituted before the Act became applicable, the civil court retained jurisdiction and could validly pass the decree. The Act only restricts civil court jurisdiction prospectively and does not retrospectively invalidate earlier decrees or bar pending suits. The appeals were dismissed.
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