Judgment

     S.R. DAS, CJI. (on behalf of himself and N. H. Bhagwati; B. Y. Sinha and K. Subba Rao JJ.):The circumstances leading up to the presentation of the above noted three petitions under Art. 32, which have been heard together, may be shortly stated:

2. In pre-British times the Kavalappara Moopil Nair, who was the seniormost male member of Kavalappara Swaroopam of dynastic family, was the ruler of the Kavalappara territory situate in Walluvanad Talluk in the district of South Malabar. He was an independent prince or chieftain having sovereign rights over his territory and as such was the holder of the Kavalappara sthanam, that is to say, "the status and the attendant property of the senior Raja," Apart from the Kavalappara sthanam, which was a Rajasthanam, the Kavalappara Moopil Nair held five other sthanams in the same district granted to his ancestors by the superior overlord, the Raja of Palghat, as reward for military services rendered to the latter. He also held two other sthanams in Cochin granted to his ancestors by another overlord, the Raja of Cochin, for military services. Each of them sthanams has also properties attached to it and such properties belong to the Kav