(1.) A.S. No. 1372 of 1988 arises from O.S. No. 100 of 1985, on the file of Sub Court, Dharapuram. Defendants 2 and 4 to 6 in that suit are the appellants herein. Plaintiffs and 3rd defendant are the respondents therein. A.S. No. 544 of 1989 arises from O.S. 29 of 1987, on the file of the same Court. Plaintiff therein is the appellant before this Court. A.S. No. 1153 of 1990 arises from O.S. No. 114 of 1987, Sub Court, Dharapuram. Plaintiffs in that suit are the appellants herein.
(2.) PARTIES herein will be referred to according to their rank in O.S. No. 100 of 1985, which is a suit for specific performance of agreement of sale. 2nd defendant is the plaintiff in O.S. No. 29 of 1987, which is a suit for declaration and partition. Defendants 4 and 5 are plaintiffs in O.S. 114 of 1987. That is a suit for declaration of title over the plaint property therein and to restrain the defendants from trespassing into the property.
(3.) MATERIAL averments in O.S. No. 100 of 1985 may be stated as follows:- Plaintiffs are the sons-in-law of the 3rd defendant. The subject-matter of the suit is property having more than six and odd acres of land which admittedly belonged to late Chinnammal, who is the wife of the first defendant. After filing written statement, first defendant died. Second defendant is the only son of Chinnammal and deceased 1st defendant. Defendants 3 and 4 are their daughters. 5th defendant is the son of the 4th defendant; 6th defendant is the son of the 2nd defendant. It is the plaintiff's case that first defendant and Chinnammal owned separate properties and they were leading a very decent life from out of the income from the properties. They also celebrated the marriage of their daughters defendants 3 and 4, and whatever gift that could be given at that time was also given according to their family status. It is said that the liberal act of first defendant along with his wife, late Chinnammal, was not liked by second defendant, and there was some misunderstanding between them. In view of that, the aged parents, i.e. , the first defendant and his wife were living separately for more than ten years prior to the institution of the suit, in a place called Palla Kadu. It is said that their son, second defendant, did not even assist them in cultivation, and from 1977 onwards, first plaintiff being the son-in-law of the third defendant, was actually in possession of the property, and was giving the income to Chinnammal.