1. The three petitioners herein along with one R. Prabhakaran constituted a partnership under the name and style 'Polylaminates' and the same was duly registered with the Registrar of Firms, Trivandrum, under the provisions of the Indian Partnership Act hereinafter called the Act. While so, by mutual consent the firm was dissolved with effect from 1-4-1975 and a deed of dissolution also was executed on 8-3-1976 by all the partners. Public notice of dissolution of the partnership was published in leading vernacular dailies and also in the Kerala Gazette dated 23-3-1976. Notice of dissolution in the prescribed form was sent by R. Prabhakaran, one of the partners, to the Registrar of Firms, the first respondent herein. But thereafter, Sri. R. Prabhakaran left India and his whereabouts were not known. Recently when the first petitioner happened to go to the office of the 1st respondent, he came to know that as there was some defect the notice of dissolution sent by R. Prabhakaran was sent back to him long back on 20-3-1976. Thereafter, the first petitioner sent a copy of the original notice of intimation of the dissolution which had been signed by all the partners without a