Ramachandra Iyer, C.J.-

This is an appeal under section 7 of Act XXX of 1956, filed by the landholders against the decision of the Special Tribunal at Madurai, functioning under that enactment, which held the village of Kothakudi in Mangulam Taluk in Madurai District to be an Inam Estate. The proceedings leading up to the present appeal has a chequered history. Soon after the enactment of the Abolition Act (Madras Act XXVI of 1948), the Assistant Settlement Officer, Manamadurai, who took action suo motu, held the village to be an Inam Estate.

There was an appeal from that decision to the Estates Abolition Tribunal at Madurai which by its order dated 16th January, 1951, found that the village was not an Inam Estate. That order was, however, set aside four years later at the instance of certain ryots in the village, who complained that they had no notice of the proceedings. Fresh evidence was allowed to be let in and the matter was ultimately remanded to the Assistant Settlement Officer for fresh consideration. He held that the Inam grant being of an entire village, it would be an “estate” under the provisions of the Madras Estates Land Act but that it would not be an Inam Estate under

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