(A.S.No.441 of 1998 has been filed under Section 96 and Cross Objection No.33 of 2000 has been filed under Order 41 Rule 22 of the Code of Civil Procedure, both against the judgment and decree dated 13.4.1998 rendered in O.S.No.14770 of 1996 by the VII Additional Judge, City Civil Court, Chennai.)

M. Thanikachalam, J.

The plaintiffs, having failed in their attempt, to evict the respondents/defendants from the suit properties, have come to this Court, as appellants.

2. The defendants 1 and 3 to 7, aggrieved by some of the findings rendered by the trial Court, have preferred the cross-objection.

3. The parties are referred, in this appeal and cross-objection, as arrayed in O.S.No.14770 of 1996.

4. The brief facts, regarding the plaintiffs case:

(a) The suit properties, originally belonged to the Corporation of Madras, from whom one Krishnadoss Lala and his brother had purchased the same, under a registered sale deed, dated 19.4.1944. In the partition, dated 5.5.1968, between Krishnadoss Lala and his brother, the suit properties were allotted to the share of Krishnadoss Lala. After his demise, the suit properties devolved upon his heirs. The heirs of Krishnadoss Lala and two ot