Sir John Edge :-

This is an appeal by the plaintiff in the suit against a decree, dated the 9th December, 1914, of the High Court at Madras, which reversed a decree, dated the 22nd April, 1912, of the Subordinate Judge of Tinnevelly and dismissed the suit. The parties to the suit are Hindus, and the suit is for a declaration to protect the interests of the plaintiff as a reversioner in certain immoveable property which was sold for Rs. 5,300 on the 22nd November, 1897, by the defendant 1 to the defendants 3 and 4.

The defendants 1 and 2 are the widows of one Medai Dalavoi Shanmuga Kumaraswami Mudaliyar (hereafter referred to as Shunmuga), who died childless in 1892. Shanmuga was a separated Hindu, and at the time of his death was possessed of a considerable estate, which was more or less encumbered. That estate included a one-third share in the village Aiyanarkulam. That village will be hereafter referred to as the Mouza.

On the death of Shanmuga the defendants 1 and 2 succeeded to his estate as Hindu widows. After the defendants 1 and 2 had succeeded to the estate they divided the estate or part of it between them, and thereafter each of them enjoyed separately those parts of the est