Vivian Bose JUDGMENT
B.K. Mukherjea, J.
1. This appeal is on behalf of the defendant and it arises out of a suit commenced by the plaintiff-respondent, in the Court of the Subordinate Judge at Chaibassa, for recovery of possession of the land described in schedule to the plaint, on the allegation that the defendant was a monthly tenant in respect of the same, and that the tenancy was determined by a notice to quit. The suit was decreed by the trial court and the decision was affirmed, on appeal, by the District Judge, Purulia, and on Second Appeal, by a Division Bench of the High Court of Patna. The defendant has now come up to this court on the strength of a certificate granted under section 110, Civil Procedure Code.
2. Mr. Setalvad, appearing on behalf of the defendant-appellant, stated to us at the outset that he would not dispute the validity or sufficiency of the notice to quit served upon his client, if on the facts of this case he is held to be a monthly tenant under the plaintiff in respect of the premises in suit. His contention, in substance, is that the defendant was at no point of time a monthly tenant under the plaintiff or his predecessor. There might have been, according to the learned Counsel, two tenancies for one year each for two successive periods, but on the expiry of the second yearly lease, which happened on 7th December, 1926, the defendant ceased to be a tenant and no fresh tenancy was created by holding over as is contemplated by section 116 of the Transfer of Property Act. As there was no holding over, there could not be any question of a monthly tenancy being brought into existence under the provision of section 116 of the Transfer of Property Act, and the present suit of the plaintiff having been admittedly brought more than 12 years after the determination of the second yearly lease, is barred by limitation under Article 139 of the Indian Limitation Act. The whole controversy in this appeal thus centres round the point as to whether the defendant was in fact a monthly tenant under the plaintiff at the date when the notice to quit was served upon him. To appreciate the respective contentions that have been put forward upon this point by the learned Counsel on both sides, it will be necessary to narrate briefly the material facts in their chronological order.
3. The property in suit is a plot of land, measuring 4 bighas 12 cuttas, and is comprised in old Survey plot No. 573 of village Jugselai in the district of Singhbhum. The entire village forms part of the Dhalbhum estate, of which the plaintiff is admittedly the present proprietor. One Charan Bhumiji was the "Prodhan" of village Jugselai from some time before 1913 and on 24th July, 1913, the father of the defendant, by a registered Patta, took a lease of about 31 bighas of land appertaining to Survey plot No. 573 from this Prodhan for purposes of cultivation. It is not disputed that the property in suit is covered by this Patta. At that time the proprietor of the Dhalbhum estate was Raja Satrughna and he died in 1916, leaving behind him a will by which the entire estate was bequeathed to the present plaintiff. The plaintiff's claim under the will was challenged by one........