Tenants Built 2 Illegal Floors on Rented Property, High Court Orders Demolition

• Himachal Pradesh High Court upheld demolition order for two illegally constructed floors by tenants in Shimla.
• Tenants built the floors without owner or Municipal Corporation permission during a temporary government acquisition in 1989.
• The court ruled the owner-tenant relationship continued despite government acquisition and a co-owner's subsequent sale did not validate the illegal construction.
• Tenancy rights under Himachal Pradesh Urban Rent Control Law are personal, devolving first to the spouse (Jwala Devi) and not automatically to other legal heirs.
• Long-term occupation or property sales cannot protect unauthorized construction, affirming any co-owner's right to seek demolition.

Why It Matters: Illegal construction on rented property, even with long occupation or sales, faces demolition, as ruled by Himachal Pradesh High Court.