V. Sethuraman, J.

1. This appeal has been filed by the second defendant in O.S. No. 89 of 1975 in the Court of the Subordinate Judge of. Triuchi. There was one T.M. Meenakshisundaram, who died on 28th June, 1967 in the Government Headquarters Hospital, Coimbatore, when he was working there as a Revenue Divisional Officer in Erode. The first plaintiff claimed that she was married to the said Meenakshisundaram as the second wife and that her two daughters plaintiffs 2 and 3 are the children born out of the said wedlock. The first defendant is the first wife of the said Meenakshisundaram and the second defendant is their son. It may be mentioned here that the second defendant is an advocate by profession practicing in Tiruchirapalli.

2. The first defendant gave birth to the second defendant in or about 1941, and by about 1943, she became mentally and physically afflicted with the result that there could be no conjugal life between Meenakshisundaram and the first defendant. She went over to her parent's place in Dindigul thereafter.

3. Meenakshisundaram was serving as a Government employee in the Revenue Department in several places. According to the first plaintiff her marriage w