In Brief
This case concerns a landlord's eviction petition against tenants under the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958. The landlord claimed ownership based on an adoption deed produced 17 years after the previous owner's death. The tenants sought leave to contest the eviction on three grounds: disputing the landlord's ownership, denying the landlord-tenant relationship, and establishing alternative accommodation. The courts below rejected this leave application. The Supreme Court held that when examining leave to contest eviction, courts need only assess whether grounds prima facie disclose a defensible case, not examine their merits. Since the tenants' grounds met this threshold, the Court allowed the appeal, granted leave to contest, and restored the matter to the Rent Controller for full hearing on merits.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.