M. Satyanarayana Murthy, J.

1. The State filed this appeal against the decree and judgment passed in O.S. No. 18 of 1980 on the file of the Court of Subordinate Judge, Ramachandrapuram (for short, 'the trial Court'), dated 18-09-1987. The appellant was the defendant, the respondents were the plaintiffs before the trial Court and they will hereinafter be referred as defendant and plaintiffs for convenience.

2. Initially, plaintiff Nos. 1 to 11 filed suit O.S. No. 51 of 1976 on the file of the Court of Subordinate Judge, Rajahmundry, and, later, plaintiff Nos. 12 to 16 are impleaded as per the orders in I.A. No. 1478 of 1977 dated 06-11-1979. Later, it was transferred to the trial Court and renumbered as O.S. No. 18 of 1980. Though the appeal was filed against plaintiff Nos. 1 to 16, the appeal against plaintiff Nos. 3 and 11 to 14 is dismissed for default vide order dated 17-09-1993 for non-prosecution, the appeal against plaintiff Nos. 9 and 15 is dismissed as abated by Court order dated 09-04-2001 as legal-heirs of plaintiff Nos. 9 and 15 are not brought on record an