ORDER :- This writ petition reveals a shocking state of affairs and depicts in some measure the sorrowful state of things in some offices of the Government. The Indian public are no doubt accustomed to the slow motion of the wheels of Government. But even to members of such a resigned society, the facts of this case will give a jolt.

2. Differences of opinion arose between the members of a Hindu joint family and that led to a disruption in the joint family status. A body of arbitrators was constituted to effect a partition of the family properties and give an award in that behalf. The arbitrators gave an award on 9th June 1959. There was no consensus among the coparceners about the acceptability of the award. That led to some members of the erstwhile joint family filing a suit O.S. No. 23 of 1959 in the District Court of Nagapattinam under S.14 of the Arbitration Act for a direction being issued to the arbitrators to file the award in court. In response to the notice issued in the suit, the arbitrators produced the original award in court along with certain documents on 20-1-1960.

3. The other branch which was dissatisfied with the award filed O.P. No. 73 of 1959 before the