1. This matter arises out of a suit filed by the first respondent in the Court of the District Munsif of Razole for specific performance of a contract of lease entered into with the petitioner, for possession of the properties, and for the recovery of mesne profits. The property in suit had belonged to the petitioners father who in May, 1913, granted a lease of it for twenty years to the second and third respondents and to the fathers of the fourth, fifth and sixth respondents. The lessor died sometimes before 1929 and the property devolved on the petitioner. On the 2nd November, 1929, the petitioner granted a lease of the properties to the first respondent for twenty years, the period to commence from 2nd June, 1935. A deed of lease was drawn up, duly executed and registered. The first respondent averred in his plaint that the petitioner had in collusion with the other defendants (respondents 2 to 15 and one Malay Venkataratnam, the fifteenth defendant) put the defendants into possession of the property and had refused his demand for possession. He treated the suit as being one for specific performance of the contract of lease and stamped his plaint on the amount of one ye