M. Anantanarayanan, Offg. C.J.

1. This Letters Patent appeal has been instituted by one K. R. Thangapandian, the second respondent in certain proceedings under the Guardians and Wards Act (Act 8 of 1890), in the Court of the learned District Judge, Tiruchirapalli, and the appellant before Ramakrishnan, J., in A. A. O. 103 of 1963. The background of facts in regard to which the proceedings arose in the District Court itself, has been succinctly set forth in the judgment of the learned Judge. A great deal of the previous history will be found stated in Ponnalagu Ammal v. State of Madras, AIR1953Mad485 , in the judgment delivered by Rajamannar, Chief Justice, on behalf of the Bench. For the purpose of the present proceeding, which does involve certain questions of interest upon the applicability of specific provisions of the Guardian and Wards Act to the facts, the matter might be taken up from the stage in the history, at which there was a dispute with regard to rival adoptions--the adoption by Ponnalgu Ammal of a minor as heir to the Marungapuri Estate in 1949, and the adoption by the other widow of the Zamindar, one Lakshmi Ammani. This dispute was brought up to this Court,