(1.) Introduction:
(2.) One Yohannan, the common ancestor, died testate on 24 October 1978. He executed his last will on 24 June 1974, after executing and cancelling a series of wills-at least four times. Yohannan was survived by two daughters, whose children now fight for his estate. That is, the succession dispute involves his grandchildren and their children.
(3.) Chellamma John, the wife of Yohannan's one of the grandsons, and her children filed OP (LA) No. 290 of 1996 claiming the letters of administration; they base their claim on Yohannan's registered will No. 34 of 1974. Later, the original petition was renumbered as OS No. 3 of 99 on the file of the Additional District Judge, Kottayam. The 14 defendants included Jacob@Kurian[1] as the ninth respondent; he alone contested the case.