The suit which has given rise to this appeal was brought by the plaintiffs-respondents claiming 195 1/2 pots of paddy valued at Rs. 1,173/- out of 322 1/2 pots of paddy harvested and kept in the custody of the O.C. Thoubal on the allegation that the paddy crop had been raised by them in the land under patta No. 105/19-Khabam Pana. The land under patta No. 105/19 Khabam Pana originally belonged to late Dorendra Singh, husband of the appellant 1 and the plaintiffs claimed to be the tenants of the entire 10 paris and 3 sangams of land on behalf of Arambam Dorendra Singh and after his death on behalf of Srimati Jamini Devi, the appellant 1, who is the widow of Arambam Dorendra Singh. The plaintiffs claimed to have remained in possession as tenants from the time of Arambam Dorendra Singh deceased and they alleged that they had paid loushal (rent) regularly at the rate of 12 pots of paddy per year, upto 1953. In the year, 1954, the plaintiffs claimed to have performed Loutaba ceremony for starting cultivation in the land in question on the Sripanchami day and they actually started cultivation, but the defendants 2 to 5 (the appellants 2 to 5) at the instigation of the appellant 1