( 1 ) THIS appeal is filed against the decree passed in Spl. Suit No. 14 of 1967 on the file of the Civil Judge, Bangalore. The said suit was originally instituted as OS. No. 17 of 1966 on the file of the Civil Judge, Bijapur and it came to be transferred to the file of the Civil Judge, at Bagalkot. The suit was instituted on 10-6-1966.

( 2 ) THE suit was instituted by the State of Mysore, the Director of Agriculture and the Cotton Superintendent, Bijapur, for recovery of a sum of rs. 15,000 together with interest thereon jointly and severally from defendants 1 to 14. The case of the plaintiffs was that defendant 1 borrowed a sum of Rs. 20,000 from the Cotton Superintendent Dharwar, in the year 1951 on two dates. Oh 7-7-1951 he borrowed a sum of Rs. 5,000 and on 20-7-1951 he borrowed the remaining sum of Rs. 15,000. In lieu thereof he executed a bond on 19-9-1951 exhibit P-2 in favour of the Cotton Superintendent undertaking to repay the sum of Rs. 20,000 borrowed by him as mentioned earlier, along with interest at 71/2 per cent per annum. That on 22-4-1952 defendant 1 repaid a sum of Rs. 5,000 and executed another bond on 2-8-1952 Ext. P-1 in favour of the Cotton