Summarize the following court judgment. vil Appeal No. 2347 of 1966. Appeal from the judgment and decree	 dated June 3	 1966 of the Calcutta High Court in Appeal No. 251 of 1965. M.C. Chagla and S.N. Mukherjee	 for the appellant. section V. Gupte	 M.G. Poddar and D.N. Mukherjee	 for the respondent. Clause 3(c) of the deed provided for a renewal of the lease and was in the following terms : "3 (c). The lessor will on the written request of the lessees made two calendar months before the expiry of the term hereby created and if there shall not at the time of such request be any existing breach or non observance of any of the covenants on the part of the lessees hereinabove contained grant to it one renewal of 10 years from the expiry of the said term at the same rent and containing the like convenants and provisos as are herein contained except that as regards the clause for renewal for further period the rent shall be as may be agreed between the lessor and the lessees. " On December 1	 1963	 the time fixed for applying for the renewal of the lease expired. On December 13	 the appellant made a written request for the renewal. On December 23	 1963 the respondent 's solicitors replied stating that the request being out of time was ineffective and asking the appellant to	 vacate the land on the expiry of the lease. The appellant had erected structures on the land for the purpose of running a petrol delivery station and was a Thika tenant within the meaning of the Calcutta Thika Tenancy Act	 1949. In February 1964 the respondent filed an application before the Controller asking for eviction of 240 the appellant under sections 3(vi) and 5 of the Calcutta Thika 		Tenancy Act. The Controller allowed the application. An appeal from this order was dismissed by the appellate Authority. A revision petition against the order was dismissed by the High Court. While dismissing the revision petition	 the High Court stayed the execution of the order of eviction for a month and observed that the authorities under the Calcutta Thika Tenancy Act had no power to decide whether the appellant was entitled to a renewal of the lease. Thereafter the appellant filed the present suit on the Original Side of the Calcutta High Court asking for a declaration that it was entitled to a renewal of the lease	 specific performance of the covenant for renewal	 an injunction restraining execution of the order of eviction passed by the Controller and for other reliefs. In paragraphs 13 and 14 of the plaint the appellant alleged that the delay in giving notice of renewal should be excused in view of the following special circumstances: (a) the delay was due to oversight; (b) the respondent had not altered her position for the worse or to her detriment within the space of 12 days; (c) neither party had treated the matter of time as being as the essence of the transaction; (d) the appellant had constructed a service station for petroleum products of immense utility to the public of the locality; (e) the appellant was in possession of the land. The respondent contended that the application for renewal being made out of time was ineffective and that there was no ground for excusing the delay. S.P. Mitra	 J. accepted the respondent 's contention and dismissed the suit. An appeal under clause 15 of the Letters Patent was dismissed by a Divisional Bench of the High Court. Both the courts concurrently held that the letter	 dated December 13	 1963 was not a proper exercise of the option by the 	appellant under the lease	 dated February 17	 1954 and that there were no special circumstances for excusing the delay in 	giving the notice. The appellant has filed the present appeal after obtaining a certificate from the High Court under article 133 ( 1 ) (a) and (b) of the Constitution. The appellant neglected to make the application for renewal of the lease within the stipulated time. Mr. Chagla has submitted that the time is not of the essence of the contract having regard to sec. 55 of the Indian Contract Act	 1877 as interpreted in the case of Jamshed Khodaram Irani vs Durjorji Dhunjibhai(1). Section 55 of the Indian Contract Act provides that "when a party to a contract promises to do a certain thing at or before a specified time	 or certain things at or before specified time	 and fails to do any such thing at or before the specified time	 the contract	 or so much of it as has not been performed	 becomes voidable at the option of the promisee	 if the intention of the (1) L.R. 43 I.A. 26. 241 parties was that time should be of the essence of the contract. " In Jemshed 's case(1) Viscount Haldane observed that the section did not lay down any principle as regards contracts to sell land in India different from those which obtained under the law of England. It is well known that in the exercise of its jurisdiction to decree specific performance of contracts the Court of Chancery adopted the rule	 especially in the case of contracts for the sale of land	 that stipulations .as to time were not to be regarded as of the essence of the contract unless they were made so by express terms or unless a clear indication of a contrary intention appeared from the nature of the contract or the surrounding circumstances. In his well considered judgment Viscount Haldane carefully refrained from saying that time was not to be regarded as of the essence in all contracts relating to land. At common law stipulations as to time in a contract giving an option for renewal of a lease of land were considered to be of the essence of the contract even if they were not expressed to be so and were construed as conditions precedent. Equity followed the common law rule in respect of such contracts and did not regard the stipulation as to time as not of the essence of the bargain. As stated in Halsbury 's Laws of England	 3rd ed.	 vol. 3	 article 281	 p. 165 "An option for the renewal of a lease	 or for the purchase or re purchase of property	 must in all cases be exercised strictly within the time limited for the purpose	 otherwise it will lapse. " This passage was quoted with approval by Danckwerts L.J. in Hare vs Nicoll(2). A similar statement of law is to be found in Foa 's General Law of Landlord and Tenant	 8th article 453	 p. 310	 and in Hill and Redman 's Law of Landlord and Tenant	 14th ed.	 p. 54. The reason is that a renewal of a lease is a privilege and if the tenant wishes to claim the privilege he must do so strictly within the time limited for the purpose. With regard to equitable relief against the failure of the tenant to give notice of renewal within the stipulated time. the law is accurately stated in Halsbury 's Laws of England	 3rd ed. 	vol. 23	 p. 626	 article 1329	 footnote (u) thus : "Relief will not be given in equity against failure to give notice in time	 save under special circumstances. The decided cases show that in such cases relief is not given in equity save upon the ground of unavoidable accident	 fraud	 surprise	 ignorance not wilful or inequitable conduct on the part of the lessor precluding him from refusing to give the renewal. The limits of the equitable interference in such cases were clearly stated by the Master of the Rolls (Sir R.P.Arden) in Eaton vs Lyon.(3) He observed : "At law a covenant must be strictly and literally performed; in equity it must be really and substantially (1) L.R.43 I.A.26 (2) 145. (3) ; 	 692 3=695 6 30 E.R. 1223	 1224	1225 6. 242 performed according to the true intent and meaning of the parties so far as circumstances will admit; but if unavoidable accident	 if by fraud	 by surprise or ignorance not wilful	 parties may have been prevented from executing it literally	 a Court of Equity	 will interfere; and upon compensation bei ng made	 the party having done everything in his power	 and being prevented by means	 I have alluded to	 will give relief . I decide this case upon the principles on which	 Lord Thurlow decided (Bayley vs The Corporation of Leominster 	 and I hope now	 it will be known	 that it is expected	 these covenants shall be literally performed where it can be done; and that Equity will interpose	 and go beyond the stipulations of the covenant at law	 only where a literal performance has been prevented by the means	 I have mentioned	 and no injury is done to the lessor? ' We are of the opinion that the stipulation as to time in clause 3 (c) of .the indenture of lease dated February 17	 1954 should be regarded as of the essence of the contract. " The appellant not 'having exercised the option of renewal within the time limited by the 'clause is not entitled to a renewal. The appellant claims relief against the consequences of its default on the grounds enumerated in paragraphs 13 and 14 of the plaint. Grounds (b) and (e) cannot be regarded as special circumstances. to ground (d)	 it is. not shown that the service station is of immense public utility. The fact that the appellant constructed a service station is an irrelevant consideration. Ground (c) is not established and it is not 'shown that the time is not of the essence of the bargain. As to ground (a) there is some evidence to show that the delay in giving the notice of renewal was due to oversight. But it is not shown that the delay was due to any unavoidable accident	 excusable ignorance	 fraud or surprise. The delay arose from mere neglect on the part of the appellant and could have been avoided by reasonable diligence. As observed 'by the Master of the Rolls in Reid & Anr. vs Grave & Others(1): "The rule is now well established	 that no accident will entitle a party to renew unless it be unavoidable. I am of opinion	 that nothing but accident	 which	 could not have been avoided by reasonable diligence	 will entitle the plaintiff to a renewal in this Court. " We may add that where no time is fixed for the purpose	 an application for renewal for the lease may be made within a reasonable time before the expiry of the term (see Foa 's General Law of Landlord & Tenant	 8th ed.	 article 455	 pp. 311 12	 Ram Lal (1) 	 248. 243 Dubey vs Secretary of State for India (1)	 Maharani Hemanta Kumari Devi vs Safatulla Biswas & Ors.(2). In the present case	 the lease fixes a time within which the application for renewal is to be made. The time so fixed is of the essence of the bargain. The tenant loses his right unless he makes the application within the stipulated time. Equity will not relieve the tenant from the consequences of his own neglect which could well be avoided with reasonable diligence. The appeal is dismissed with costs. Y.P Appeal dismissed.

The respondent leased to the appellant a plot of land for a certain period and stipulated in the lease deed that the appellant would give notice of renewal of the lease within a certain time. The appellant made the request for renewal of the lease 12 days after the time fixed. The respondent asked the appellant to vacate the premises stating	 that the request being made out of time	 was ineffective. The appellant flied a suit for a declaration that he was entitled to the renewal	 and stated that the delay in making the request he excused as (a) it was due to oversight; (b) the respondent had not altered her position for the worse or to her detriment within the space of 12 days; (c) neither party had treated the matter of time as being as the essence of the transaction; (d) the appellant had constructed a service station for petroleum products of immense utility to the public of the locality; and (e) the appellant was in possession of the land. The Court dismissed the suit	 and this decision was affirmed in appeal. Dismissing the appeal	 this Court	 . HELD: The lease fixed a time within which the application for renewal was to be made. The time so fixed was of essence of the bargain. The tenant lost his right unless he made the 'application within the stipulated time. Equity will not relieve the tenant from the consequences of his own neglect which could well be avoided with reasonable diligence. At common law stipulations as to time in a contract giving an option for renewal of a lease of land were considered to be of the essence of the contract even if they were not expressed to be so and were construed conditions precedent. Equity followed the common law rule in respect of such contracts and did not regard the stipulation as to time as not of the essence of the bargain	 the reason being that a renewal of a lease is a privilege and if the tenant wishes to claim the privilege; he must do so strictly within the time limited for the purpose. [241 D	 E] With regard to equitable relief against a failure of the tenant to give notice of renewal within the stipulated time the relief cannot be given in equity save under special circumstances such as unavoidable accident	 fraud	 surprise	 ignorance		 not wilful or inequitable conduct on the part of the lessor precluding him refusing to give the renewal. [241 F] Grounds (b) *and (e) stated for the delay could not be regarded as special circumstances. As to ground (d) it was not shown that the service station was of immense public utility. The fact that the appellant constructed a service station was an irrelevant consideration. Ground (c) was not established and it was not shown that the time was not the essence of the bargain. As to ground (a) there was some evidence to show that the delay in giving the notice of renewal was due to oversight. But it was not shown that the delay was due to any unavoidable 239 accident	 excusable ignorance	 fraud or surprise. The delay arose from mere neglect on the part of the appellant and could have been avoided by reasonable diligence. [242 E] Jamshed Khodaram Irani vs Durjorji Dhunjibhai	 L.R. 43 I.A. 26	 PIrate vs Nicoll 	 145; Eaton vs Lyon ; 	692; Reid & Anr. vs Grave & Ors. 	 248	 Ram Lal Dubey vs Secretary of State for India		 39 C.L.J. 314 and Maharani Hemanta Kumari Devi vs Safatulla Biswas & Ors. 	 referred to.