JUDGMENT

These original petitions have been filed by the petitioners, challenging the order passed by the Munsiff Court, Erattupetta, in I.A No.4/2024 in O.S.Nos.100/2024 & 99/2024 dated 23.01.2025, wherein the petitioners were directed to deposit the arrears of rent, failing which the defence of the petitioners were ordered to be struck off.

2. Heard the arguments of the learned counsel for the petitioner and for the respondent.

3. The case of the petitioners in both cases is that the respondent filed two suits against the petitioner as O.S No.99/2024 and 100/2024 seeking eviction from the plaint schedule premises consisting of three rooms, alleging that the parties had entered into a lease agreement dated 08.03.2022. The tenant was paying rent for some time till June 2023 and thereafter defaulted, which led to the filing of three suits; O.S. Nos. 99/2024, 100/2024, and 101/2024. In these suits, the petitioners, as the defendants, stated in the written statement that the disputed property actually belongs to the petitioners and earlier belonged to the Devaswom, under whom both the petitioners and the alleged leaseholders had been occupying it. Thereafter, the petitioners filed an app