Summarize the following court judgment. ivil Appeal No. 823 of 1981. 738 From the Judgment and Order dated 16.10.1979 of the Punjab & Haryana High Court in Civil Revision No. 2300 of 1979. V.C. Mahajan (NP)	 Ms. Urmila Kapoor	 Ms. section Janani and Ms. Meenakashi for the Appellant. M.L. Verma and P.C. Kapur for the Respondents. The Judgment of the Court was delivered by SHARMA	 J. This appeal by a tenant defendant is directed against the decree for his eviction from a shop on the ground mentioned in section 13(2)(v) of the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act	 1949 (hereinafter referred to as the Act) which renders the tenant liable for eviction if he has ceased to occupy the rented premises for a continuous period of four months without reasonable cause. The questions which are involved in this case are whether a tenant can be said to have ceased to occupy a building merely for the reason that he temporarily suspends the actual physical user there of; and whether a landlord is entitled to a decree even if the tenant has re occupied the premises before the eviction proceeding was commenced. The landlord respondent filed the present application for eviction of the appellant before the Rent Controller in March	 1973and inter alia pleaded that for a continuous period of more than four months the appellant had ceased to occupy the shop during 1969 to 1971 and he was	 therefore	 liable to be ejected. The appellant disputed the allegation	 but	 the Rent Controller as well as the Appellate Authority rejected the defence and accepted the plaintiff 's plea. After unsuccessfully moving the High Court under section 15(5) of the Act	 the tenant had filed the present appeal by special leave. The grounds on which a tenant can be asked to quit are mentioned under section 13(2) of the Act	 and under clause (v) thereof the Controller may pass an order for the ten ant 's eviction if he is satisfied	 "13(2)(v): That where the building is situated in a place other than a hill station	 the tenant has ceased to occupy the building for a continuous period of four months without reasonable cause	 Mrs. Urmila Kapoor appearing in support of the appeal con tended that the appellant has all along been in possession of the shop which 739 was never vacated and merely for the reason that the shop remained closed for a temporary period he cannot be said to have ceased to occupy the same. The argument is that the appellant 's occupation of the shop was never interrupted as it was in his effective control, although closed and secured under the appellant 's lock which nobody ever disturbed. We do not find ourselves in a position to accept the interpre tation of the section as attempted on behalf of the appel lant. The reason of including the clause (v) in section 13(2) is to ensure that buildings, which are scarce in number spe cially in the towns, necessitating rent control legislation, do not remain unused at the instance of tenants who do not actually need them. A tenant who is in possession of a building in the legal sense only cannot be said to be in occupation thereof for the purpose of section 13(2)(v); otherwise a question of his eviction as envisaged in that section would not arise. The section, by making provisions for his ejectment, assumes that he is in possession, but, still includes cessation of occupation as one of the grounds. The clause, therefore, has to be interpreted in this background and it ,must take colour from the context. We, therefore, hold that if a tenant stops the business which he is carry ing on in a shop and closes the premises continuously for a period of four months without a reasonable cause he will be liable for eviction. The other point urged by Mrs. Kapoor needs more serious consideration. The non occupation of the premises by the tenant did, not continue after 197 1, and the eviction petition was filed in 1973. Is it permissible to hold, in this situation, that the ground mentioned in section 13(2)(v) has been made out? On behalf of the respondent it has been contended that since in a number of Rent Acts of other States a similar ground specifically requires such non occupation for a period immediately preceding the date on which the ejectment application is filed, the present Act which does not use identical language should be interpreted differently. Reliance has also been placed on the observa tions of this Court in Gajanan Dattatraya vs Sherbanu Hosang Patel & Ors., [1976] 1 S.C.R. 535; a case arising under the ' Bombay Rents, Hotel & Lodging House Rates Control Act, 1947. The prayer for eviction, in the above case, was rounded on a plea of subjetting, and the ground in this regard, as mentioned in section 13(1)(e), is that the tenant has	 since the coming into operation of the Act	 unlawfully sublet" the premises. The Court rejected a similar conten tion of the tenant	 as in the present case	 by holding that	 "To accede to the contention of the appellant would mean 740 that a tenant would not be within the mischief of unlawful subletting if after the landlord gives a notice terminating the tenancy on the ground or unlawful subletting the subten ant vacates. The landlord will not be able to get any relief against the tenant in spite of unlawful subletting. In that way the tenant can foil the attempt of landlord to obtain possession of the premises on the ground of sublet.ting every time by getting the sub tenant to vacate the premises. " The observations	 and consequently the decision were based on the law requiring service of notice to quit before start ing an action for ejectment as assumed earlier before the decision of 7 learned Judges in V. Dhanpal Chettiar vs Yesodai Ammal; 	 holding otherwise was given. The provisions of section 13 had	 then	 to be construed in a manner which did not render the same completely ineffec tive. Now	 that is not the position. It is true that the Court in the former decision also observed that the tenant 's liability to eviction arose once the fact of unlawful sub letting is proved	 but	 the very next sentence further clarifies the position in the following words: "At the date of the notice	 if it is proved that there was unlawful subletting	 the tenant is liable to be evicted. " It is significant to note that according to the decision the subletting had to continue till the date of the notice. If the requirement of notice disappears the above observation must be read as referring to the application for eviction and not the notice. The observations in an earlier case of this Court in Goppulal vs Thakurji Shriji Shriji Dwarkadheeshji & Anr.	 ; ; may be of some help in the present context. This decision was discussed in Gajanan Dattatraya 's case (supra) and was distinguished on the ground that the Court there had no occasion to consider the question as to whether subletting to be within the mischief of the relevant statute is to subsist at the date of the suit. It is true that the Court did not have to consider and decide directly the present controversy	 but	 the comment made on the lan guage of the statute concerned is helpful to the tenant. The dispute	 in that case	 depended on the interpretation of section 13(1)(e) of the Rajasthan Premises (Control of Rent and Eviction) Act	 1950 which forbids the Court to pass a decree for eviction unless inter alia "the tenant has assigned	 sublet or otherwise parted with the possession" of the disputed premises. There the words "has sublet" needed construing	 while in the case before us they are 741 "has ceased to occupy". In this background	 the Court said that the use of present perfect tense contemplates a period even connecting in some way with the present time. So far as the language of some rent Acts	 specifical ly indicating that the period of non occupation should be one immediately preceding the suit	 is concerned	 the learned counsel is right that a comparison of the language of the present Act lends some support to his stand	 but this alone does not outweigh the other relevant circumstances. On the other hand	 if the provisions of several other Acts are examined	 it will be seen that the section has been phrased in a way which avoids the use of present perfect tense. As an illustration	 the provisions of the Bihar Rent Act may be seen	 which forbids the eviction of a tenant "except in execution of a decree passed" for subletting (or for other grounds mentioned therein). Besides	 as pointed out in Nathia Agarwalla and Another vs Musst. Jahanara Begum and Others	 ; ; comparing statutes of 'different States is not to be commended because similarity or varia tion in the laws of different States is not necessarily indicative of a kindered or a different intention. The reason for this view was expressed in the following lan guage: 'Enactments drafted by different hands	 at different times and to satisfy different requirements of a local character	 seldom afford tangible or sure aid in construction. We would	 therefore	 put aside the Rent Control Acts of Madras	 Bihar	 Delhi and other States because in these States the problem of accommodation in relation to the availability of lands and houses and the prior legislative history and experience	 cannot be same as in Assam. On an examination of all the provisions of the Act and on taking into account the other relevant considera tions	 we are of the view that the non occupation of the premises by a tenant must continue till the date of the filing of the application for his eviction on the ground covered by section 13(2)(v). Accordingly	 the appeal is allowed and the decision of the courts below is set aside. The parties shall bear their own costs throughout. N.P.V. Appeal al lowed.

On an application flied by the respondent landlord in March 1973 for eviction of the appellant tenant on the ground that for a continuous period of more than four months the appellant had ceased to occupy the shop during 1969 71	 the Rent Controller passed a decree for eviction under Section 13(2)(v) of the East Punjab Rent Restriction Act	 1949. The appellate authority affirmed the decree. The High Court rejected the tenant 's appeal. In the appeal before this Court	 the appellant tenant contended that though the shop had remained closed for a temporary period	 it Was in his effective control and that since the non occupation did not continue when the eviction petition was filed	 the ground mentioned in Section 13(2)(v) had not been made out. On behalf of respondent landlord	 it was contended that since in a number of Rent Acts	 the ground specifically required such nonoccupation for a period immediately preced ing the date on which the ejectment application was filed	 the Act which did not use identical language	 should be interpreted differently. Allowing the appeal	 this Court	 HELD: 1.1 If a tenant stops the business which he is carrying on in a shop and closes the premises continuously for a period of four months without a reasonable cause he will be liable for eviction. However	 the non occupation of the premises by a tenant must continue till the date of. filing of application for his eviction on the ground covered by section 13(2)(v). [739D] 737 1.2 The reason of including clause (v) in section 13(2) is to ensure that buildings	 which are scarce in number specially in the towns	 necessitating rent control legislation	 do not remain unused at the instance of tenants who do not actually need them. A tenant who is in possession of a building in the legal sense only cannot be said to be in occupation thereof for the purpose ors. 13(2)(v); otherwise a question of his eviction as envisaged in that section would not arise. The section	 by making provisions for his ejectment	 assumes that he is in possession	 but	 still includes cessa tion of occupation as one of the grounds. The clause	 there fore	 has to be interpreted in this background and it must take colour from the context. [739B C] However	 the use of present perfect tense in the words 'has ceased to occupy ' contemplates a period even connecting in some way with the present time. [741A] Goppulal vs Thakurji Shriji Shriji Dwarkadheeshji & Anr.	 ; 	 relied on. V. Dhanpal Chettiar vs Yesodai Ammal	 ; and Gajanan Dattatraya vs Sheroani Hosang Patel & Ors.	 [1976] 1 SCR 535	 referred to. 1.3 Though a comparison of the language of the Act with that of other Rent Acts specifically indicating that the period of non occupation should be one immediately preceding the suit supports the view that the period of non occupation need not subsist at the date of the suit	 that alone does not outweigh the other relevant circumstances. If	 on the other hand	 provisions of several other Acts are examined it would be seen that the Section has been framed in such a way which avoids use of present perfect tense. Besides	 compar ing statutes of different States is not to be commended because similarity or variation in the laws of different States is not necessarily indicating. of a kindered or different intention. [741 B D] Nathia Agarwalla and Another vs Musst. Jahanara Begum and Others	 ; 	 followed. In the circumstances	 the decision of the courts below that the tenant is liable to be ejected is set aside. [741G]