Order of the Court was delivered by

The Chief Justice.- In 1935 one Krishnamurthi who was then a minor was registered as the village headman of the village of Bijjiputti, Itchapuram taluk, Srikakulam district and the petitioner was appointed under section 10(5) of the Madras Hereditary Village Offices Act (III of 1895) to discharge the duties of the office until the person registered as heir attained majority and qualified himself to discharge the duties of the office. In 1948, as the said Krishnamurthi did not qualify himself, he was removed from the office for which he had been registered and in the vacancy thus arising, the third respondent to this application, one Barla Surayya, was registered as the office holder. As he was a minor at the time, the petitioner himself was again appointed as the deputy of this Surayya by the Assistant Collector, Srikakulam. Subsequently, the mother and guardian of the minor, filed a petition before the Revenue Divisional officer on 9th March, 1949 making adverse allegations against the petitioner and praying that he may be removed and another person may be appointed to do the duties of the office. The Revenue Divisional Officer by his order dated

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