Summarize the following court judgment. ivil Appeal No. 1504 of 1980. From the Judgment and Order dated 20.5. 1980 of the Delhi High Court in Regular Second Appeal No. 18 1 of 1979. S.K. Mehta	 D. Mehta	 A. Vachhar and Atul Nanda for the Appellant. Dr. Shankar Ghosh and Ashok Grover for the Respondent. The Judgment of the Court was delivered by RANGANATHAN	 J. The appellant	 a cooperative society	 (hereinafter referred to as 'the society ')	 resists a suit for possession 650 laid by the respondent	 contending that the property in question is a 'building ' within the meaning of the Delhi Rent Control Act	 1958 ( 'the Act ')	 the eviction of a tenant from which can be sought by the landlord only from a rent controller on grounds specified in the Act and not by a suit in a civil court under the Transfer of Property Act read with the Code of Civil Procedure (C.P.C.). This contention of the appellant has been rejected	 concurrently	 by the Assistant District Judge	 the Additional District Judge and the High Court. In this appeal	 counsel for the appellant seeks to persuade us that all the three courts have decided erroneously a substantial question of law raised by it and that they ought to have dismissed the suit instead of de creeing it. To get a cogent idea of the history of the litigation concerning this property and to properly appreci ate the contentions urged	 it is necessary to set out the relevant facts at some length. 2(a) The property in question originally belonged to one Khan Din Hussain Din but it came to be vested in the Custo dian of Evacuee Property on the owner being declared an evacuee on the eve of the partition of the country. The Custodian leased it out to one Pritam Chand who occupied it in September 1947. There is on record an undated survey report in a "proforma for residential premises" which per tains to the period when Pritam Chand was in occupation. It described the property covered by it thus: 1. Locality or street Hamilton Road	 Delhi 2. H.C. No. III/1403 1406 3. No. & size of rooms 15 ' x 15 ' shed	 3 ' x 8 ' 10 'x 10 '	 10 'x 10 ' 10 ' x 10 ' Ver 40 ' x 8 ' shed 35 ' x 10 ' Open space 50 ' x 45 ' use as Motor Lorry Workshop. (b) Subsequently	 the allotment in favour of Pritam Chand appears to have got cancelled and the Society applied for the allotment of the property to it for starting a factory. The application was granted and the property was allotted	 by way of a lease	 to the Society by an order dated 28.3.1949. It is necessary to extract this order in full: ORDER "Subject: Allotment of industrial premises. 651 With reference to your application dated I have to inform you that Indus trial Establishment known as open compound at Hamilton Road (Portion of Jai Hind Motor Works) with 25 Front and 50 deep together with all the machinery and accessories kept there in has been allotted to you. Possession of the factory/workshop/Industrial establishment will be delivered to you immediately after your fulfilling the following conditions namely: 1. Delivering at this office a communication addressed to the Custodian undertaking to pay such deposit and rent as may be assessed and required to be paid and to execute the lease on the prescribed form. Filling a duly attested affidavit as per form 'A ' attached herewith. Possession of stocks of consuma ble goods and other stores and material	 if any	 will be given to you for safe custody as caretaker until the disposal thereof. Assistant Custodian Industrial is hereby required to deliver the possession of factory/workshop/Industrial Establishment and other moveable property kept therein (to) the above named allottee after satisfying himself that he has fulfilled conditions laid down above. If necessary	 the enforcement section will help the Assistant Custodian and the allottee of the property in accordance with the procedure prescribed under law. " (c) A report on the use of the allotted plot submitted on 9.1.51 is of some relevance. It clarifies that no machin ery had been allotted to the Society and that power was being fitted. It says then: "I have found nobody at the premises except a Gorkha Chowkidar. I remember it very well that in the presence	 I gave the possession of the above said plot to allottee who promised that they want to start a factory very soon	 but it is regretted that no advantageous use of the premises is being made by the Co operative. However	 I have seen new power connection being fitted on the premises. The work might have (then) set back due to non availability of power. Any how we must consult the file and subsequently call the allottee. " 652 (d) It appears that Pritam Chand was attempting to get the allotment to the Society cancelled on the allegation that it had unauthorisedly sublet the property. A letter was written	 in this context	 by the Assistant Registrar of Cooperative Societies to the Custodian on 15.5.1954. This letter	 on the subject of"Allotment of Industrial Premises"	 reads as under: "Kindly refer to your order No. DC/IV/A/185 dated the 28th March	 1949 on the above sub ject under which the house No. 2939 III/1403 1406 on Industrial Establishment known as open compound at Hamilton Road (Portion of Jai Hind Motor Works with 25 ' front and 56 ' deep) together with all machinery and accessories kept therein	 was allotted to the Prabhat Manufacturing Co operative Industrial Society Ltd. Before allotment one Shri Pritam Chand was occupying the whole premises. He is now again trying to take the premises allotted to the society. He therefore filed an applica tion to the Assistant Custodian against the Society alleging that the premises had been sublet to Shri Ajit Singh Duni Chand and Banwari Lal. The Assistant Custodian served the Society with a notice for cancellation of allotment of the said premise. The fact is that Shri Ajit Singh	 is the Secretary of the Society and Shri Duni Chand and Banwari Lal were its members. The question of subletting does not arise. A Government loan of Rs.4	000 was also advanced to the society under the Rehabilitation Scheme. Under the above circum stances I would request you to allow the Society to function in the allotted premises	 so that it may be able to repay the Government loan advanced to it." (e) The Society made an attempt to have the assessment of rent reduced. The order of the Deputy Custodian dated 31.5. 1955	 under which this relief was granted reads thus: "This is revision petition by M/s Prabhat Mfg. Cooperative Socio Industrial Society Ltd.	 against the assessment of rent. The petitioner has got a plot. There is a small shed on this plot also. The petitioner was assessed on the rental of Rs.50 on the basis of the M.A.R. It is contended before me that there is no M.A.R. for property No. 2939 653 but there is joint M.A.R. for house No. 1403 6. From the copy of the assessment sheet	 (it) appears that 1403 1406 is equivalent to 2939 40. It is not clear therefore whether new number has got an assessment of Rs.50 or there are several numbers included in this assess ment. I find that I inspected this house on 20th March 1953 and asked the S.D.O. to let me know the value of the plot and probable rent. At that time he had assessed the value of the plot at Rs. 10970. The present value of course will be more than that. However	 on the basis of this valuation	 the rent of the petition er 's plot if it were a vacant plot would work out to Rs.327 per month exclusive of house tax. There is a small shed also which is alleged to be self constructed. Considering therefore all the circumstances I fix the rent of the petitioners plot at Rs.35 per month. As the petitioner is a cooperative society	 I direct that rate should have retrospective ef fect. The petitioner is	 however	 directed to clear the arrears within fortnight." (f) After this order was passed	 a survey report was made on 15.7.1955 which describes the property in the occu pation of the Society thus: 1. No. 2. Road	 Street	 lane or Mohalla Hamilton Road 3. Municipal House No. (old) III/l/4 (1403 6) old 2939 (new) 4. 5. Accommodation available Plot with tin shed No. & Size of rooms store 27 ft. North rooms	 verandah	 kitchen	 61 ft. East bath	 courtyard etc. 64.8 ft. West 24 ft. South 15. Description of present Manufacturing concern occupation i.e. business Motor accessories and service (Govt. or Pvt.) tools Regd. No. 199 other occupation) dated 24.3.49. Rent previously fixed Rs.50 reduced to for the accommodation Rs.35 3.(a) Having thus got the plot on lease	 the Society tried to acquire the property for itself. There is on record a letter of the Society dated 21.1.1957 requesting that the "industrial plot" may be perma 654 nently allotted to it. However	 the Custodian chose tO sell the property by auction on 15.7.60 in favour of one Dina Nath (the predecessor in interest of the present respondent Banwari Lal). The upset price was Rs.21	000 and the sale was for Rs.23	000. Unfortunately	 however	 except the informa tion that sale deed in favour of Dina Nath was executed on 13.7.61	 there is no document on record about the exact nature and condition of the property thus sold. (b) The Society moved to have the sale set aside on the ground that	 as the value of the property was less than Rs. 10	000	 it should have been sold to the Society itself as the allottee and not to an outsider. In the course of these proceedings	 it made an application on 15.10.60 to the concerned authority for a copy of the order declaring the property to be saleable	 the first paragraph of which reads thus: "The above mentioned property an Industrial Plot on Hamilton Road No. 2939 (old No. 1403 1406) was sold by auction on 15.7.60." (c) The application of the Society was	 eventually	 rejected by the Chief Settlement Commissioner on 25.8.1961 and so the appellant filed a revision petition before the Government of India. In this petition	 it is seen	 the Society tried to take advantage of a Press Note of the Government which enabled an allottee who had invested more than Rs.30	000 in a property to get a priority when the property came to be allotted but this attempt was also unsuccessful. Certain reports submitted by the concerned authorities in the context of the Society 's application have been placed on record. On 21.3. 1962	 the Executive Engineer reported. "The land under property in question has been assessed at Rs. 17	500 while the structure value of it has been assessed at Rs.3	883 giving a total value of Rs.21	383. The reserve price of this property has been fixed at Rs.21	000" Reports submitted by one T.C. Dewan contain the following observations: "I have been to the premises and obtained a list of machinery now installed in the prem ises. The copy of the letter dated 21.3.56 addressed to the C.S.C. is also attached. M/s Prabhat Mfg. Co op. Industrial Society want to have the premises transferred to them as Industrial concern. 655 The property has already been auctioned on 15.7.1960. The sale certificate has been issued in favour of Dina Nath s/o Charan Das on 13.6.61." "I have to submit further that a part of the superstructure was evacuee and was valued with the plot. Some portion has been made as a temporary shed etc. The position can be made clear by consulting the valuation schedule on the property. The portion which was included in the valuation at that time means at the time of auction as noted it was definitely an evacuee structure. The rest is non evacuee raised by the occupant. " It also appears that	 in the course of these proceedings	 Ajit Singh	 on behalf of the Society made a statement to the following effect in May	 1962: "The above Society is in occupation of the premises since the year 1949. There was only a shed built in the premises but the other portion was open plot when it was allotted to us. The entire machinery has been installed by the Co op. Society. I can supply inventory of the machinery which has been installed by the Society would be produced on 8.5.62." (d) The Society 's revision petition was rejected on 6.8.62. The order of the Joint Secretary to the Government of India starts with a recital that the Custodian had allot ted "an open plot of land" to the society for industrial purposes	 and that the Society had erected "a temporary structure on this plot and also installed some machinery". In para 3	 the contention of the Society is stated to be "that the plot was allotted to the Society for industrial purposes and they erected a building and installed machinery worth about Rs.30	000 in it. " The order proceeds: ". the valuation officer was asked to assess the value of the land	 building and machinery. After a spot inspection he reported that the value of land and building was about Rs.21	000	 whereas the value of the machinery installed in March	 1956	 according to the vouchers produced before him by the Society came to only Rs.6	585. Hence	 the value 656 of the machinery did not exceed that of the land and building. Further	 the Press Note of the 22nd March	 1956 required such allottees to submit applications to the Regional Settle ment Commissioner concerned with a certificate from the Director of Industries of the State that they had established factories under the Commissioner	 New Delhi. It is	 therefore	 clear that this case is not covered by the Press Note of 22nd March	 1956. The property in their occupation was rightly auctioned. Now we come to the third chapter of the story. Dina Nath	 the purchaser of the property filed suit No. 155 1/62	 in the court of Rent Controller	 Delhi seeking eviction of the appellant society from the property in question on the ground of sub letting	 misuser	 default in payment of rent and requirement of the premises for the bona fide use of the owner. The Rent Controller dismissed the petition. It is seen from the order of the Rent Controller that the owner had alleged that a portion of the demised premises had been sublet	 assigned or otherwise parted with to M/s. Malviya Industries after 9.6.1952 without obtaining the written consent of the landlord. The respondent had shown that Malviya Industries was a proprietory concern of Ajit Singh	 who was in possession of the whole premises as a Secretary of the appellant society and that	 apart from the fact that the goods manufactured by the society were sold through Malviya Industries	 there was nothing to show that any particular portion of the property in question was exclu sively used by Malviya Industries. It also appears that the owner alleged that he required the premises in question for purposes of re building it. The controller held that as the property had been given to the tenant for residential pur poses and the proposed reconstruction would change the character of the premises	 this was not permissible under the Act	 and therefore	 the landlord could not be said to require the premises bona fide for re building. On behalf of the appellant it is urged that the fact the landlord filed a rent control eviction petition as well as a finding in the order of the Rent Controller dated 16.1.1967 clearly show that the property in question was a 'building ' falling within the scope of the Delhi Rent Control Act. It is also pointed out	 from a copy of the application for eviction placed on record	 that in para 5 of the application it was stated that a workshop was situated on the piece of land and about 20 people (approx.) were working therein and the details of the accommodation were shown as comprising of one tin shed as shown in the attached plan. 657 (b) In 1964 the society filed suit No. 294 of 64 against Dina Nath and others. In this suit it prayed for an injunc tion restraining the defendants from interfering with its possession and lawful enjoyment of the property	 inter alia	 by preventing the plaintiff from carrying out the necessary repairs to the premises in question. This suit was filed during the pendency of the earlier suit filed in the rent controller 's court. It was alleged that the portion of the roof had started leaking and that	 when the plaintiff began to make the necessary repairs to the premises	 the defend ants began to interfere illegally with its possession with the ulterior motive of securing the possession of the prem ises otherwise than in due course of law. The defendants resisted this suit. It appears that this suit was eventually dismissed but further details are not available. (c) It also appears that Banwari Lal had filed a suit for permanent injunction against the Society restraining it from erecting any new structure on	 or making any additions or alterations to the property in question. It is said that in one of the affidavits filed in the course of these pro ceedings Banwari Lal stated as follows: "3. That the defendant is tenant of ground floor consisting of a tin shed in house No. 2939	 Hamilton Road	 Delhi at a monthly rent of Rs.35 which is a single storeyed property. That the defendant has got no right title and interest to erect any new structure on the first floor or to make any additions and alterations in the aforesaid property without the consent of the plaintiff. " There is no further information available regarding this suit. (d) One more proceeding instituted by the appellant society has also to be referred to: On 15.2.1968	 the appel lant filed an application under section 44 of the Delhi Rent Control Act	 1958 (Suit No. 169 M of 1968 69)	 seeking permission to make repairs to the premises in question. This application was resisted by the owners on a preliminary objection that the petitioner were not tenants of any prem ises within the meaning of Delhi Rent Control Act. This application was dismissed on 9.3.1972. It is necessary to extract paragraph 5 of this order since it is relevant to the controversy presently in question: "5. I also find it established on record that the petitioner society is a tenant only with respect to an open site and the 658 structure thereon namely	 the shed itself constructed by the tenant. It is admitted (that) by Ajit Singh	 who states himself to be the Secretary of the Society by the custodian	 as it was an evacuee property. A reference to the allotment order exhibit RW 1/1 which was produced by the clerk of the office concerned	 examined as R.W. 1 shows that the subject matter of the allotment of the petitioner society was an 'Open Compound '. It is further clear from the copy of an order exhibit R.W. 1/1 that it was stated by the tenant	 namely the petitioner society before the custodian ' that the shed was self constructed and the rent was got reduced from Rs.50 per month to Rs.35 per month. This continues to be the rent upto date	 according to be that the petitioner society continues to be in occupation of the same property	 as it was	 when it was allotted to them by the Custodian	 and it is estab lished from the evidence of the clerk of the office of the Custodian. R.W. 1 and the orders produced by him	 namely R.W. 1/1 and R.W. 2/2	 as well as the survey report exhibit R.W. 1/3 that what was allotted to the petitioner society	 was only a plot and that the shed was self constructed. The petitioner has failed to substantiate the contention that the respond ent himself has treated him/them/as a tenant because no certified copy of the previous pleadings has been placed on the file. The petitioner	 therefore	 being a tenant only with respect to open site	 which does not come within the definition of a 'premises '	 as contemplated by the Delhi Rent Control Act the petition under sec. 44 of the act	 is not entertainable. The suit out of which the present appeal arises has to be understood in the context of the above previous histo ry. In 1977 Banwari Lal instituted suit No. 318/77 against the Society seeking eviction of the Society from "the plot of land in question". It was alleged that the plaintiff was the owner of the above said plot and that the defendant had put up a shed thereon. It was alleged that the Society had been occupying the property much earlier and that the plain tiff who came to the scene much later had mistakenly thought that the defendant was the tenant of both the land and the shed put up thereon and accordingly filed the petition under the Rent Control Act for evicting the Society. Subsequently it was said	 after examining the records of the Custodian and allotment letter in favour of the defendant he had come to know that the shed had been constructed by the defendant and that	 as such the property from which the eviction 659 was to be sought was only a plot of land and not 'premises ' within the meaning of the Delhi Rent Control Act. In these circumstances	 it was claimed that the plaintiff had termi nated the tenancy of the defendants and that the suit was being filed to recover possession of the property from the tenants. As mentioned earlier	 the plaintiff has succeeded in all the three courts and hence the present appeal. Shri S.K. Mehta	 learned counsel for the Society	 contends that in this case both the parties had taken up inconsistent stands at different stages of the litigation and that	 in that state of affairs	 the courts below should have ignored the past conduct of both the parties and gone by the contents of the documents of title in order to decide the matter. Instead	 he complains	 the courts have held the conduct of the Society in some of the prior litigation as negativing its claim but	 when it came to a consideration of the like conduct on the part of the plaintiff	 they have chosen to make light of it	 accepting the lame excuses put forward on his behalf. We shall	 therefore	 consider	 at the outset	 the impact	 if any	 of the earlier proceedings in this case on the question at issue. The detailed narration of facts set out earlier will show that the parties have not been consistent in their stands and have tried to blow hot or cold as the occasion suited them. Taking up the stand of the Society first	 the Society	 in its application to the custodian for reduction of rent claimed successfully that what was allotted to it was only a plot of land and that the small shed thereon had been put up by the Society itself. So also	 in its applica tion for allotment dated 21.1. 1957 and 15.10.1960	 it referred to the property only as an industrial plot. The letters addressed by the Society to the Custodian and Set tlement Commissioner as well as the application for reduc tion of rent and the order thereon are valuable pieces of evidence both because they are anterior to the litigation between these two parties and also because they reflect the representations of the Society to	 and the findings of	 the very authority that allotted the property to the Society. The Society represented that it had been allotted only a plot of land and that the shed had been put up thereon by itself and this plea would not have been accepted by the Custodian had it not been correct. Shri Mehta tried to argue that the Custodian has only reduced the rent on general grounds and has given no finding that only a plot had been allotted to the Society but we are unable to accept this contention as both in the opening sentences as well as in the body of order there is a clear finding to this effect. This is a very strong circumstance to show that what was allotted to the Society was only a plot of land. Secondly	 660 the findings of the Rent Controller in the application under section 44 filed by the Society	 right or wrong	 have at tained finality as between the parties and it is not open to the Society on principles analogous to res judicata to take a contrary stand in these proceedings. It is true that in the suit for injunction filed in 1964 as well as in its application under section 44 of the Rent Control Act the Society took up a contrary position and claimed that the property was tenanted 'premises '. It is not clear why the Society filed the suit if the property was subject to the Rent Control Act and	 though it appears that the plaintiff pointed out that the property was the subject of proceedings under the Rent Control Act	 the suit was eventually dismissed without any findings. Again	 the Socie ty 's claim in the second set of proceedings was rejected by the Rent Controller in a reasoned order on 9.3.1972. The statement of Ajit Singh of May	 1962 is ambiguous	 as it says on the one hand that there was a shed but also says on the other that what was allotted to the Society was only an open plot. These are	 therefore	 not of much help to the Society. Turning next to the stand of the plaintiff	 in Decem ber 1962	 soon after acquiring the property	 he applied to the Rent Controller though unsuccessfully for the eviction of the Society on the allegation that the property comprised a shed	 that it had been unauthorisedly sublet and that the plaintiff required it for reconstruction as residential premises. His explanation that this was due to some mistaken notion has been accepted by the first appellate court. Counsel for the appellant contends that this was a naive explanation which should not have been accepted as the material on record shows that Banwan Lal and Dina Nath were members of the Society and were fully aware of all the transactions and activities of the Society right from the inception and could not have been unaware of the nature of the property allotted to the Society as alleged. There is some truth in this but at the same time	 it should be appre ciated that	 when filing this application	 the plaintiff might not have been fully aware of all the legal implica tions of the situation. At the time of the action	 the property consisted of a land and shed. If the land belonged to the Custodian and the shed had been put up by the Socie ty	 what was sold to the plaintiff was really only the right	 title and interest of the Custodian and the plaintiff could not have become the owner of the shed superstructure. Strictly speaking	 the Society was the tenant only in re spect of the land but it is possible that	 without examining the niceties as to what was the original allotment and the effect of subsequent structure having been put up on it by the lessee	 the plaintiff may just have tried 661 to evict the Society by resort to the Rent Control Act. The question whether the property was 'premises ' within the Rent Control Act was not put in issue in that case and the deci sion of the Rent Controller also rested on a very narrow finding which has no relevance to the point at issue. We	 therefore	 think	 that these proceedings do not affect the present case of the plaintiff	 particularly in view of the specific findings given by the Rent Controller in the Socie ty 's application. Summing up the position	 therefore	 it seems to us that the history of the earlier litigation and findings given in the orders therein support the plaintiff 's case rather than that of the Society as held by the courts below. That apart	 we do not think the position is different even_if	 as urged by Sri Mehta	 we ignore all these proceed ings as unhelpful to either side and concentrate only on the documents on which Shri Mehta relies as supporting his plea that the Society had got an allotment of not a mere plot of land but of a building as well. The first and most important document on which Shri Mehta places great reliance is the order of allotment dated 28.3.1949 by the Custodian in favour of the Society. Counsel lays stress on the references in it to "industrial premises"	 to the "industrial establishment known as open compound . (portion of Jai Hind Motor Works)"	 to "the factory/workshop/industrial establishment"	 to "possession of stocks of consumable goods and other stores and material	 if any"	 "and other movable property kept therein" and contends that the document clearly shows that what was allotted to the Society was not a mere plot of land but an industrial premises. We are unable to accept the above contention for a number of reasons. In the first place	 the reference to 'industrial premises ' in this letter cannot be construed as a reference to 'premises ' within the meaning of the Rent Control Act. The letter also refers to the allotted property as factory	 workshop and industrial establishment though	 admittedly	 there was no such factory	 workshop or estab lishment in existence on that date. The letter also refers to stocks of consumable goods	 stores and movable property on the property but it is common ground that there was none of these things on the site at the time. It was obviously a cyclostyled proforma allotting an item of evacuee property and	 except for the portion where it contains a description of the particular property in question viz. "open compound at Hamilton Road (portion of Jai Hind Motor Works) with 25 front and 50 deep"	 it only contains terms applicable to allotments generally. In this case the 662 particular description is not of much help either. That the property was "known as office compound" does not necessarily mean that there were premises inside the compound as was sought to be suggested. It is equally consistent with the claim that it was only an open plot of land inside a com pound on which some motor works were located. Secondly	 in the absence of a clear indication of the nature of the property in the allotment letter	 we may refer to the other documentary evidence on record. The inspection report of the person who delivered the property to the Society dated 9.1.1951	 the order dated 31.3.1955 of the Deputy Custodian	 the letters of the Society dated 21.1.1957 and 12.10.1960	 the revision petition filed by the Society as well as the order dated 6.8.1962 thereon clearly indicate that what was allotted to the Society was only a plot of land and that the Society had put up a temporary structure and installed some machinery on it. The importance of these documents	 as indicated earlier	 lies in the fact that they arise out of proceedings between the allotting authority and the Society and relate to a point of time anterior to the commencement of the litigation between the Society and the plaintiff. Shri Mehta invited our attention to the reports called for and submitted in connection with the application under section 33 of the Displaced Persons Act filed by the Society. He pointed out that the report of the Executive Engineer shows that the reserve price for the auction sale of the property was fixed at Rs.21	000 by taking into account the value of the land at Rs. 17	500 and the value of the structure of Rs.3.883 (in all Rs.21	303) and that this had been further clarified by the report of T.C. Dewan. But	 as rightly pointed out by Dr. Ghosh for the plaintiff	 these were only reports submitted in 1962 (much later than the allotment) in the context of justifying the action of the department in auctioning the property in 1960 instead of allotting it to the occupant Society. As men tioned earlier	 the Society itself had pleaded in its appli cation that it had been allotted the land and that it had put up structure and machinery thereon worth Rs.31	000. It is clear that the machinery installed by the Society on the land was not considerable. It is seen from the order on the revision petition that the Society could prove installation of machinery only to the extent of Rs.6	585. The effort of the Society was	 therefore	 apparently to contend that it had been allotted only the land for which an upset price of Rs.21	000 had been fixed and that since it had also put up a structure and installed machinery worth Rs.31	000	 the property should not have been sold in auction. An inspection was ordered and report of the Executive Engineer indicates that the value of Rs.21	000 had been fixed taking into account both the land and the structure thereon and not merely for the 663 land. The report of T.C. Dewan was also to the effect that the upset price of Rs.21	000 fixed in 1960 had taken into account a part of an evacuee structure that had already existed on the land. These reports were thus drawn up in the context of a controversy between the parties as to the nature of the property allotted and the manner in which it had been valued at Rs.21	000. These reports drawn up several years after. the allotment	 and intended to justify the department 's action	 cannot be of much evidentiary value. It is also significant that	 although Dewan 's report states that "the position can be made clear by consulting the valuation schedule ' of the property" no attempt was made to bring on record the valuation schedule which must have been drawn up at the time of the sale	 before fixing the upset price at Rs.21	000. These documents cannot	 therefore	 be relied upon as to the state of the property when it was allotted to the Society. Thirdly	 the survey reports referred to by us earli er are helpful in indicating how the confusion in the case could have arisen. The report made at the time of Pritam Chand 's occupancy obviously covers a much more extensive property which consisted of an open space of area 50 ' x 45 which was used as motor lorry workshop and a number of sheds and a verandah. If we read the letter of allotment in the context of this report	 it is clear that what was allotted to the Society was only a portion of the Jai Hind Motor Works measuring 50 ' x 25 '. This makes it abundantly clear that only an open space was allotted to the Society. Even the report of 1955 shows the property (though somewhat larger in size than 50 ' x 25 ' shown in the allotment letter) only as a plot with tin shed. As	 even on the Society 's own showing	 it had put up a shed on the plot	 we again reach the position that what was originally allotted was only a plot of land. The allotment letter and the other documents re ferred to by counsel for the Society do not	 therefore	 further its case. On the contrary	 they only reinforce the conclusion of the courts below. Actually	 the findings on the point of all the three courts are concurrent findings on a question of fact. The Additional District Judge has co gently collected together all the circumstances which mili tate against the Society in its judgment and the High Court has approved this summing up. This Court does not normally reappraise the evidence or interfere with such concurrent findings of fact	 even if it is possible on the facts to come to a contrary conclusion. We have	 however	 discussed the material at great length and practically reviewed the entire evidence on record as Shri Mehta submitted that the property is at present occupied by a larger number of mem bers of the petitioner Society who are carrying on small business and that they will all be 664 thrown out on the road as a result of the decision of the courts below. Even so	 for reasons discussed above	 we do not think we can come to a contrary conclusion on the mate rial on record. The High Court has gone one step further. It has indicated that	 even if one accepted the best case of the appellant Society that there was a shed on the land even at the time of the original allotment such plot cum shed cannot convert the land into 'premises ' within the meaning of the Rent Control Act. This was the prima facie view of the court as it did not hear arguments from the parties on this point. Counsel canvassed this point before us also. Shri Mehta	 referring to Corporation of City of Victoria vs Bishop of Vancouver Island	 AIR 1921 PC 240; Karnania Properties Ltd. vs Augustin	 [1957] SCR 20; State of Bombay vs Sardar VenkatRao Krishna Rao Gujar	 ; and Ghanshiam Das vs Devi Prasad & Another	 contended that the definition of premises envisages a build ing and that	 as per these decisions	 anything that is built on land	 even if it is only a kacha shed	 would be a build ing and this brings the property in question within the purview of the Act. On the other hand Dr. Ghosh sought	 by analogy of the principle of the decisions in Uttam Chand vs S.M. Lalwani	 AIR 1965 SC 716; S.M Gopalkrishna Chetty vs Ganeshan & Ors.	 and Morarji Goculdas Deoji Trust & Ors. vs Mahadev Vithan Kutwa	 	 to contend that what the Rent Control Act contemplates is a building let out qua building	 may be with appurtenant land	 but not a land let out for use as land merely because there may be a small building on it. The relevant question	 he says	 is what was the dominant subject matter of the allot ment the land or the building and this is a question which can only be decided in the respondent 's favour. We do not consider it necessary to embark on a discussion of this aspect as we are satisfied	 for the reasons already dis cussed	 that the property allotted to the Society in respect of which it was a tenant	 initially under the custodian and later under the plaintiffs	 was only a plot of land and that the plaintiffs were justified in attempting to recover possession thereof by a suit for possession in the civil court. It is further directed that the decree for eviction will not be executed till 28.2.1990 provided the persons who are in occupation of the premises in question file an undertak ing containing the usual terms within four weeks from today. The appeal	 therefore	 fails and is dismissed but	 in the circumstances	 we make no order as to costs. P.S.S. Appeal dismissed.

The appellant society was temporarily allotted the property in question by way of a lease by the Custodian of Evacuee Property in March	 1949. In the allotment letter it was described as an 'industrial establishment ' known as open compound. The inspection report dated January 9	 1951 of the person who had delivered the possession to the society described the property as a 'plot ' on which the allottee promised to start a factory. Sometime thereafter the society sought reduction of the assessment rent. The order of the Deputy Custodian thereon dated March 31	 1955 granting the relief	 again described the property as a 'plot ' with a self constructed shed. Subsequently	 the society through its letter dated January 21	 1957 requested that the said 'indu strial plot ' may be permanently allotted to it. However	 the Custodian chose to sell the property by auction on July 15	 1960 in favour of the predecessor in interest of the re spondent. The society moved to have the said sale set aside and in its application dated October 15	 1960 made to the concerned authority it mentioned the property as an 'indu strial plot '. That application was eventually rejected by the Chief Settlement Commissioner on August :25	 1961. In its revision petition before the Government of India the contention of the society was that the plot was allotted to the society for industrial purpose and they had erected a building and installed machinery thereon. The Government order rejecting the revision petition too started with a recital that the Custodian had allotted 'an open plot of land ' to the society for industrial purposes and that the society had erected 'a temporary structure ' on the plot and also installed some machinery. 648 On February 15	 1968 the appellant society filed an application under section 44 of the Delhi Rent Control Act	 1958 seeking permission to make repairs to the premises in ques tion. The owners resisted the said application on a prelimi nary objection that the petitioners were not tenants of any premises within meaning of the Delhi Rent Control Act. The Controller found that what was allotted to the petitioner society was only a plot and that the shed was self con structed. The petitioner	 therefore	 being a tenant only with respect to an open site	 which did not come within the definition of a 'premises ' as contemplated by the Act	 the petition under section 44 was not maintainable. The respondent instituted a suit against the society in 1977 seeking its eviction and possession stating that the property was only a plot of land and not 'premises ' within the meaning of Delhi Rent Control Act	 and that the plain tiffs had terminated the tenancy of the defendants. All the three courts below held in his favour. In this appeal it was contended for the appellant socie ty that the property in question was a 'building ' within the meaning of the Delhi Rent Control Act	 1958 the eviction from which could be sought by the landlord only from a Rent Controller on grounds specified in the Act and not by a suit in a civil court under the Transfer of Property Act read with the Code.of Civil Procedure; that the references in the allotment letter to 'industrial premises '	 to the 'industri al establishment known as open compound '	 and to the 'facto ry/workshop/industrial establishment ' clearly showed that what was allotted to the society was not a mere plot but an industrial premises. Dismissing the appeal	 HELD: 1. The property allotted to the appellant society in respect of which it was a tenant initially under the Custodian and later under the plaintiff respondent was only a plot of land. The plaintiff was	 therefore	 justified in attempting to recover possession thereof by a suit for possession in a civil court. [664F G] 2. The letters addressed by the society to the Custodian and the Settlement Commissioner as well as the application for reduction of rent and the order	 thereon	 are valuable pieces of evidence both because they are anterior to the litigation between the parties and also because they re flected the representations of the society to	 and the findings of the very authority that allotted the said property. The society represented that it had been ' allotted only a plot of land and that 649 the shed had been put up thereon by itself and this plea would not have been accepted by the Custodian had it not been correct. Both in the opening sentence as well as in the body of the order there is a clear finding to this effect. This is a very strong circumstance to show that what was allotted to the society was only a plot of land. Further more	 the findings of the Rent Controller in the application under section 44 of the Rent Control Act filed by the society	 right or wrong	 had attained finality as between the parties and it was not open to the society on principles analogous to res judicata to take a contrary stand in these proceed ings. [659F H;660A] 3. The reference to 'industrial premises ' in the allot ment letter cannot be construed as a reference to 'premises ' within the meaning of the Rent Control Act. It was obviously a cyclostyled proforma allotting an item of evacuee property and except for the portion where it contained a description of the property in question viz.	 'open compound '	 it only contained terms applicable to allotment generally. [661F H] 4. The finding on the point of the courts below are concurrent findings on a question of fact. This Court under Article 136 of the Constitution does not normally reappraise the evidence or interfere with such concurrent findings of fact	 even if it is possible on the facts to come to a contrary conclusion. [663G] The decree for eviction not to be executed till February 28	 1990 provided the persons in occupation of the premises file the usual undertaking. [664G]