The suit properties consisting of two houses bearing door Nos. 4. and 5, South Hanumantharayar Koil Street, Erode, were purchased by one Karuppuswami Mudaliar, who died in 1944. The said Karuppuswami Mudaliar had two sons, Sivaraman and Samiappa. Sivaraman predeceased Karuppuswam i in 1939 leaving his widow Karuppayee and three sons, Palaniappa, Shanmugham and Vyapuri. The other son Samiappa, the first defendant in the suit, married Kaveriammal as his first wife and through her he had a daughter Perianayaki alias Gnanambal, who is the second plaintiff in the suit, the first plaintiff being the husband of the said second plaintiff. Dhanalakshmi, the third defendant, is the second wife of Samiappa and the second defendant Sivaraman is the minor son of Samiappa through Dhanalakshmi. Karuppuswami Mudaliar executed a settlement deed Exhibit A-2 dated 4th February, 1940 in favour of Kaveriammal in respect of the suit properties and two other properties describing them as his self-acquired properties. He has mentioned in the settlement deed that as his son Samiappa was ill-treating him and not maintaining him, he had executed the settlement deed giving; the suit properties