These cases which raise an interesting question of limitation have their origin in the suit Original Suit No. 191 of 1953 on the file of the Subordinate Judge’s Court, Tiruchirappalli which was instituted by four subscribers to an auction chit managed by one M. K. Rangachari, the 55th defendant in the suit. The 54th defendant, M. V. Kuppuswami Chettiar was the father of the 55th defendant and the 56th defendant was the brother of the 55th defendant. The case of the plaintiffs was that the chit business was joint family business of defendants 54 to 56, that the chit under question carried on at Kubera Bhavanam, Malaivasal, Tiruchirappalli. in which the plaintiffs were interested was only a branch of the main business which was carried on by the 54th defendant at No. 49, Naniakara Street, Tiruchirappalli. the family house. Defendants 1 to 53 and defendants 57 to 74 were impleaded as other subscribers to the chit. Some of them, it was alleged as successful bidders at the chit auctions had drawn their chit amounts and their future payments were secured by security bonds. The 55th defendant who was managing the chit at Kubera Bhavanam absconded from 9th May, 1953 and the sui