This petition was filed under the proviso to Section 25B(8) of the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958 (DRC Act) challenging the order and judgment dated 17.12.2022 passed by the Additional Rent Controller (ARC) in an eviction petition. The petitioner’s core grievance was that the trial court failed to evaluate and assign reasons regarding the effect of previous litigations between the parties on the respondents’ plea of bona fide requirement while dismissing the application for leave to defend. The Delhi High Court held that the failure to record reasons for rejecting material contentions constitutes a material irregularity in the decision-making process, leading the court to set aside the impugned order and remand the matter back to the ARC for a fresh, reasoned decision within eight months.
- Scope of Revisional Jurisdiction: The High Court emphasized that its jurisdiction under Section 25B(8) of the DRC Act is supervisory and revisional, strictly limited to examining procedural compliance and the decision-making process as established in judgments like Abid-Ul-Islam v. Inder Sain Dua and Sarla Ahuja v. United India Insurance Co. Ltd..
- Petitioner’s Grievance: The petitioner argued that the ARC did not analyze or provide reasons for rejecting the material defense that the current eviction action was an ongoing continuation of multiple previous eviction proceedings initiated by the respondents.
- Trial Court’s Flaw: A review of paragraph 29 of the impugned order showed that while the ARC listed the documents produced by the tenant, it offered a bare conclusion that no triable issue was raised, completely omitting any discussion on why the previous litigations were irrelevant.
- Mandate of Reasoned Orders: Citing Kranti Associates (P) Ltd. v. Masood Ahmed Khan, the High Court reiterated that recording reasons is a fundamental prerequisite of judicial power and the heartbeat of any valid conclusion.
Final Relief and Directions: The impugned order dated 17.12.2022 was set aside, and the matter was remanded to the ARC for a fresh evaluation of the leave to defend application. The parties were directed to appear before the ARC on August 24, 2026, with instructions for the ARC to conclude the proceedings within eight months given that the petition dates back to 2019.



