LUDHICHEM AGENCIES ETC. vs AHMED R.V. PEER MOHAMED AND ANR.

The Supreme Court held that under the Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control Act, 1947, a license agreement terminates with the licensor's tenancy, and thus the petitioners, who were sub-tenants, could not claim protection under Section 14(1) or Section 15A(1) as their sub-tenancy commenced after the relevant date. The Court clarified that the benefit of Section 14(1) is available only to sub-tenants who were lawfully sub-let before the commencement of the Amendment Ordinance in 1959. Consequently, the Special Leave Petitions were dismissed, affirming the lower court's ruling that the petitioners were not lawful sub-tenants entitled to statutory protection.