1. The petitioner is a cultivating tenant within the meaning of the Tamil Nadu Cultivating Tenants Protection Act 25 of 1955, hereinafter referred to as the Act. The respondents herein are the landlords within the meaning of the Act. The landlords filed application T.C.T.P. 212 of 1982, on the file of the Special Deputy Collector, Revenue court, Tirunelveli, under S. 3(4)(a) of the Act. The ground alleged for eviction is arrears of rent in respect of the lands concerned, for the years 1980#1511981. From the order passed by the Revenue court, dt. 11th June, 1982, it is found that notice was sent by registered post to the cultivating tenant and he refused to receive the same, as could be seen from the postal endorsement on the cover of the notice sent. The Revenue court accepted this endorsement as sufficient proof of service and set the cultivating tenant ex parte and passed an order on 11th June, 1982, accepting the evidence of second of the landlords who was examined in the case, and ordered the cultivating tenant to deposit Rs. 1,200 towards the lease arrears in respect of the lands concerned due to the landlords for 1980-1981 within 15 days from that date. This order