We rented a shop in a shopping complex of 300 shops in Hyderabad to a tenant through a known person a 11 years back and there is no legal document/agreement on the lease. He has been paying the same rent for the last 6 years. We tried to enhance the rent, but unsuccessful. He never paid on time and every month it will be after 3 to 4 months late. We have got frustrated with his behaviour. The tenant has started a Rental Association in the last year and he is the General Secretary and his father is the President. They started blackmailing the owners without any reasons and trying to take control of the shopping complex by filing false criminal & civil cases against the owners with regard to the rents. He is the most litigant person in that complex and got filed several civil & criminal cases against the owners of the shops with their tenants, and you also initiating some of the tenants to file false cases against their owners. Recently, I have asked me to vacate the shop with 2-month notice and he demanded Rs. 40 lakhs for goodwill, Rs. 10 lakhs for furniture and Rs. 10 lakhs to take material in the shop to vacate it, otherwise he will not vacate it. I have recorded the whole discussion with Apple iPad's voice recorder and the voice is crystal clear. Can I use this voice recording as proof as per Section 65 B of Indian Evidence Act to prove that he has demanded the amount so that I could initiate a criminal case against him after serving the legal notice to vacate the shop, please ?
Please pass your experienced and helpful suggestions. I greatly appreciate your kind help.
Regards,
VK.
