RAMAMURTI, J. :- Defendants 2 to 5 have preferred this appeal against the judgment and decree of the Sub Court, Dindigul decreeing the plaintiff's suit for partition of the properties described in the schedules A to B attached to the plaint and also the moveables and into six shares and allotment of two shares to the plaintiffs 1 and 2, and one share to the first defendant. The second defendant has also been directed to render an account of the income from the properties of the family for a period of one year, September 1957 to September 1958, as claimed in the plaint. The following genealogical tree, shows the relationship between the parties :

Nagayasami, the second defendant and Ayyalu, the first defendant, are brothers. The first defendant's sons are the plaintiffs 1 and 2. The second defendant's son is the third defendant, 4th defendant is the wife of defendant 3 and the 5th defendant minor Renuka is their daughter. The plaintiffs' case is that the 2nd defendant and the members of his branch and the first defendant and the members of his branch are all members of a joint Hindu family, the two branches being each entitled to a half share in all the properties, immoveabl