This rent control revision petition was filed under Section 25B(8) of the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958, challenging an order passed by the Additional Rent Controller (ARC) which had dismissed the petitioners’ application seeking leave to defend and issued an eviction order in favor of the respondent-landlord. The petitioners contended that they were out of town during the relevant period, that the service of summons was defective due to discrepancies in the process server’s report, and that their application for leave to defend was wrongly ignored. The Delhi High Court evaluated its supervisory revisional jurisdiction, noting that it cannot act as an appellate court to re-appreciate facts or substitute views where no jurisdictional error, manifest illegality, or perversity exists. Finding that the ARC had already considered these exact arguments—which were subsequently re-agitated and rightly rejected in a review petition—the High Court dismissed the petition as meritless.
- Factual Background:
- The respondent-landlord filed an eviction petition (RC/ARC 232/2024) under Section 14(1)(e) of the DRC Act for a property in Paharganj, New Delhi.
- The ARC passed an eviction order on February 28, 2026, after noting that the statutory requirements were met and the tenants were deemed to have admitted the landlord’s bona fide need.
- The petitioners subsequently filed a review petition, which was dismissed by the ARC on July 20, 2026.
- Arguments & Contentions:
- Petitioners’ Arguments: Argued that they were out of town, the summons was not duly served, there were discrepancies in the process server’s report, and their leave to defend application was erroneously not taken on record.
- Respondent’s Arguments: Pointed out that the identical issues regarding service and absence from town had already been raised before and rejected by the ARC both in the main order and the subsequent review petition (MISC RC ARC No. 75/26).
- Court Observations & Legal Parameters:
- Re-emphasized settled Supreme Court jurisprudence (Abid-Ul-Islam v. Inder Sain Dua, Sarla Ahuja, etc.) that the High Court’s jurisdiction under Section 25B(8) of the DRC Act is strictly supervisory and revisional, not appellate.
- Highlighted that the High Court cannot conduct a roving inquiry or re-appreciate factual evidence unless there is a patent jurisdictional error, manifest illegality, or perversity apparent on the face of the record.
- Observed that the petitioners were merely trying to re-litigate the same arguments concerning service of summons that had already been thoroughly addressed and adjudicated by the ARC.
- Final Judgment:
- The Delhi High Court found no jurisdictional infirmity or perversity in the impugned orders.
- The revision petition, along with all pending applications (including stay and delay condonation applications), was dismissed.


