These two revision cases are closely connected. The petitioners are the same in both. They were convicted by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Ramnad for an offence under section 500 of the Indian Penal Code in C. C. Nos. 253 and 257 of 1945 on his file and sentenced in each case to pay a fine of Rs. 20 each, in default to suffer simple imprisonment for two weeks.

The charges against them in the two cases are founded on certain statements made by them in the written statement filed by them in C.C. No. 5 of 1945 on the file of the Additional First Class Magistrate, Ramnad, in which case they were the accused. The material part of the written statement filed by them therein marked as Ex. A is as follows:-

“Paragraph 14 P.W. 2’s father and his senior paternal uncle were accused along with Chottachami Thevar, father-in-law of Mappilaisami Thevar, in a dacoity case, R.C. No. 5 of 1916 filed by accused 2. P.W. 3, Tirumal Kone’s wife is being kept by Mappilaisami Thevar for the past two years and she is given jewels worth Rs. 300 and two bulls and eight kalams of paddy through P.W. 2 every year. The said Chottachami Thevar was keeping his wife’s cousin Papathi and she is given ten kur