R. Subbiah, J.

The defendants 1 and 2 in O.S. No. 47 of 2011 on the file of I Additional District Judge, Erode, are the appellants herein. The said suit was filed by the first respondent/plaintiff for partition and separate possession of the plaint schedule mentioned property, alternatively, to direct the first appellant/first defendant to pay a sum of Rs.12,000/- per month towards maintenance, till her life time. In the said suit the trial court granted a preliminary decree of partition in favour of the first respondent/plaintiff. Aggrieved by the same, the appellants/defendants 1 and 2 have come forward with this appeal.

2. The first respondent in this appeal is the plaintiff in the suit. She is the wife of one K.N. Ponnusamy. After the death of her husband K.N. Ponnusamy, she has filed the suit as against the son born to K.N. Ponnusamy through his second wife and the second wife of Late. K.N. Ponnusamy and arrayed them as defendants 1 and 2 respectively in the suit. The other defendants namely defendants 3 to 5 in the suit are the tenants in some of the properties described in the plaint schedule, who are shown as respondents 2 to 5 in this appeal. The respondents 6 to 1