Certain persons who were holding land on or after 1st July, 1958, to be deemed tenants

Certain persons who were holding land on or after 1st July, 1958, to be deemed tenants. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any law, or in any contract, custom or usage, or in any judgment, decree or order of court, a person in possession of immovable property, whether as mortgagee or otherwise, shall be deemed to be a tenant if --- (a) the property in his possession consists of agricultural land; (b) he or any of his predecessors-in-interest was holding the property as a tenant on or after the 1st day of July, 1958; and (c) the tenancy was terminated after the 1st day of July, 1958 and before the commencement of this Act, but his predecessors-in-interest or himself continued in possession of the property, without interruption, whether as a mortgagee with possession or otherwise, from the date of such termination till the commencement of this Act. Explanation I. – For the purposes of clause (b), “tenant” means a tenant as defined in the Malabar Tenancy Act, 1929, as in force on the 1st day of November, 1956. Explanation II. - An interruption for a period not exceeding an agricultural year immediately following the termination of the tenancy shall not be deemed to be an interruption for the purposes of clause (c).