COMMON JUDGMENT

Muralee Krishna, J.

Respondents 1 and 2 in W.P.(C) No.19940 of 2019 filed W.A.No.287 of 2025 and the respondents in W.P.(C)No. 1304 of 2019 filed W.A.No.352 of 2025, invoking the provisions under Section 5 (i) of the Kerala High Court Act , 1958, challenging the common judgment dated 20.12.2024 passed by the learned Single Judge in those writ petitions. Since the point to be decided in these writ appeals is the same, they are heard together and are being disposed of by this common judgment. For convenience of reference, the parties are referred to in this judgment in their status as they were in the writ petitions, unless otherwise stated.

2. The petitioner in W.P.(C)No.1304 of 2019 is the son of the 2^nd petitioner in W.P.(C) No.19940 of 2019. The 1^st petitioner in W.P.(C) No.19940 of 2019 is the daughter of the 2^nd petitioner therein. According to the petitioner in W.P.(C)No.1304 of 2019, on 22.12.1995 while he was a minor, his father had deposited an amount of Rupees Three Lakhs in a fixed deposit for a period of 90 days, in the name of the petitioner in the erstwhile Nedungadi Bank, Guruvayoor branch, which was later merged with the Punjab National Bank. The deposit