( 1 ) (PER ) three suits were decided by the III-Addl. Judge, City Civil Court, Secunderabad by a common judgment. O. S. No. 521 of 1986 was decreed in favour of the plaintiffs. O. S. No. 1271 of 1984 and O. S. No. 613 of 1988 were dismissed. C. C. C. A. No. 11 of 1997 was filed by the defendants in O. S. No. 521 of 1986. Another appeal being A. S. No. 14 of 1997 was filed by the plaintiff in O. S. No. 1271 of 1984 before the Additional Chief judge, City Civil Court, Secunderabad, which was transferred to this Court and numbered as Tr. C. C. C. No. 89 of 1998, as the judgment in both the cases is common. No appeal has been preferred against the judgment in O. S. No. 613 of 1988. The parties will hereinafter be referred to as plaintiffs and defendants .

( 2 ) IN the first instance we take the case in O. S. No. 521 of 1986. This suit was filed for a declaration that the St. John s Church High school was started by the 3rd plaintiff and all the assets and properties of the said school vested in the 1st plaintiff and for possession. The plaintiffs contended that the church of South India came into being by the union of the South India United Church, south India Provi