JUDGMENT :

Defendants 2 to 4 in O.S. No. 86 of 2000 on the file of the First Additional Munsiff's Court, Neyyattinkara, filed this Second Appeal challenging the concurrent findings of the trial court and the First Appellate Court setting aside the ex parte decree in O.S. No. 1053 of 1996 of the Additional Munsiff’s Court, Neyyattinkara on the ground of fraud and collusion.

2. Mr. Reghuvara Panicker and his daughter Sreedevi were the plaintiffs in O.S. No. 86 of 2000 and they are respondents 1 and 2 in this Second Appeal. The husband of the 1^st appellant and father of appellants 2 and 3, Mr. Duriyodhanan was the 1^st defendant, and the 5^th defendant Sudharma in the said suit was the wife of Reghuvara Panicker, the 1^st respondent herein. The 3^rd and 4^th respondents in this appeal were the 1^st and 5^th defendants in O.S. 86 of 2000.

3. The earlier suit--O.S. No. 1053 of 1996, was filed by the 1^st appellant herein representing her minor daughters against Sudharma, wife of Reghuvara Panicker as 1^st defendant and the 2^nd defendant was Duriyodanan, who was the husband of the plaintiff. In the said suit, it is alleged that the 2^nd defendant, Duriyodanan, executed sale deed No. 1756/94 dated 15.