Litigation Update | Strike-Off Of Defence On Non-Payment Of Rent

The High Court of Karnataka at Bengaluru (Court), vide an Order dated 8 July 2025 (Order) in Venugopal Krishnamurthy & Anr. Versus M Tejaswini, has quashed an order of the subordinate court, and allowed the petitioners' application to strike off the respondent's defense in the original eviction suit due to persistent non-compliance with the subordinate court's orders mandating the deposit of rental arrears.

Brief Background and Facts

The Petitioners, Mr. Venugopal Krishnamurthy and Mrs. Poorna Venugopal, are the owners of a property leased to the Respondent, Smt. M. Tejaswini, for operating a pre-school. The Petitioners had thereafter instituted an eviction suit on 30 August 2022, following the respondent's default in rental payments. The petitioners also filed certain applications seeking a temporary injunction to restrain the respondent from continuing possession and directions for the deposit of rental arrears from March 1, 2020, to August 30, 2022, at Rs