( i ) Where the landlord does not accept any rent and other charges payable tendered by the tenant within the time and the manner referred to in section 15 or refuses or neglects to deliver a receipt referred to therein or where there is a bom fide doubt as to the person or persons to whom the rent and other charges are payable, the tenant may deposit such rent and other charges payable with the Rent Authority in the prescribed manner:
Provided that in cases where there is a bona fide doubt as to the person or persons to whom the rent and other charges are payable, the tenant may remit such rent and other charges payable to the Rent Authority by postal money order.
(2) The deposit shall be accompanied by an application by the tenant containing the following particulars, namely:—
(a) the premises for which the rent and other charges payabl* are deposited with a description sufficient for identifying the premises;
(b) the period for which the rent and other charges payable are deposited;
(c) the name and address of the landlord or the person or persons claiming to be entitled to such rent and other charges payable:
(d) the reasons and circumstances for which the application for depositing the rent and other charges payable is made;
(c) such other particulars as may be prescribed.
(3) On deposit of the rent and other charges payable being made, the Rent Authority shall send in the prescribed manner a copy of flie application to the landlord or the persons claiming to be entitled to the rent and other charges payable with an endorsement of the date of the deposit.
(4) If an application is made for the withdrawal of any deposit of rent and other charges payable the Rent Authority shall, if satisfied that the applicant is the person entitled to receive the rent and other charges deposited, order (he amount of the rent and other charges to be paid to him in the manner prescribed:
Deposit of rent by teoaot.
12 THE GAZKT1E OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY [PART 11—*
Provided that no order for payment of any deposit of rent and other charges puyuoifc srull t>e muue by die item Aataouiy unc^r uiis juu-.^ctun without giving aii Uie person^ n^uned by tiie tenant in his application under suD-swLion (J) as claiming to be emitled to payment of such rent and ouier charges payable an opportunity of being heard and such order shufll be without prejudice to the rights of such persons to receive such rent and other cnarges payable being decided by a court of competent junsUiC- tion.
(5) If at the time of filing the application under sub-section (4) but not after the expiry of thirty days from receiving the notice of deposit, the landlord or the person or persons claiming to be entitled to the rent and other charges payable complains or complain to the Rent Authority that the statements in the tenant's application of the reasons and -jrcumaances which led him to deposit the rent and other chajges payable are untrue, the Rent Authority, after giving the tenant an opportunity of being heard, may levy on *9ie tenant a fin© which may extend to an amount equal to two months' rent, if the Rent Authority is satisfiend that the said statements wore materially untrue and may order that a sum out of the fine realised be paid to the landlord as compensation.
(6) The Rent Authority may, on the complaint of the tenant and after giving an opportunity to the landlord of being heard, levy on the landlord a fine which may extend to an amount equal to two months' rent, if ih.3 Rent Authority is satisfied that the landlord, without any reasonable cause, refused to accept rent and other charges payable though tendered to him within the time referred t0 in section 15 and may further order that sum of fine realised be paid to the tenant as compensation.
IT. (1) No rent and other charges deposited under section 16 shall be considered to Invef been vaUdly deposited under that section, unless the deposit is made within twenty-one days of the time referred to in section ]5 for payment of the rent and other charges payable.
(2) No such deposit shall be considered to have been validly made, if the tenant wilfully makes any false statement in his application for depositing the rent and other charges payable, unless tfae landlord has withdrawn the amount deposited before the date of filing an application for the recovery of possession of the premises from the tenant.
(3) If the rent and other churpes payable are deposited within the time mentioned in sub-section (1) and do not cease to be a valid deposit for the reasons mentioned in sub-section (2). the deposit shall constitute payment of rent and other charges payable to the landlord, as if the amount deposited had been validly tendered.