JUDGMENT

The appellant K.Chandrasekharan is the legal representative of the second defendant in O.S.No.1777 of 1995 on the file of the District Munsif Court, Tiruchirappalli. The said suit was instituted by the first respondent herein namely H.H.The Prince of Arcot represented by his agent for recovery of rent for faslis 1401, 1402 & 1403 with interest. In the suit, the defendants filed their written statements denying their liability to pay rent. The defendants took the stand that the suit property is not the property of the plaintiff and that it belonged to one M.L.Venkatachalam Pillai and that from the said Venkatachalam Pillai, they had purchased the property vide sale deed dated 18.07.1956. The defendants further pleaded that there is no tenancy agreement with the plaintiff. They further claimed that they are having settlement patta issued by the Assessment Settlement Officer, Thanjavur. Based on the rival pleadings, the trial Court framed the necessary issues. On behalf of the plaintiff, an official of the endowment was examined as P.W.1. Ex.A1 to Ex.A12 were marked. The second defendant Arumugam Pillai examined himself as D.W.1 and Ex.B1 to Ex.B6 were marked. The learned tria