1. These three appeals arise out of a common judgment of the High Court of Kerala holding the appellants guilty of contempt of Court.

2. S. Abdul Karim, the appellant in Criminal Appeal 118 of 1971, was at the material time, a Munsiff-Magistrate posted at Perambra. He was Respondent No. 3 in the contempt petition filed in the High Court and will hereafter be referred to as R.3

3. A. P. Parukutty Mooppilamma and A. P. Achuthankutty Nair, appellants in Cr. Appeal No. 195 of 1971 were respondents 1 and 2 in the original petition before the High Court, and will hereinafter be called R.1 and R.2. The appellant K. P. Ramaswami in Criminal Appeal No. 196 of 1971 was Respondent 4 before the High Court. He will, for short, be called R.4.

M. K. Prakash. Respondent No.1 in all these appeals before us, was the petitioner in the contempt petition before the High Court. He will hereafter be called as 'P'.

The facts are these;

4. R.1 is the owner of the Olathukki Ariyalakkan Malavaram in Kayanna Amsom which is managed for and on her behalf by her son, R.2. On March 28,1969, R-1 presented a petition through R-2 to the Superintendent of Police, Kozhikode alleging that the accused persons (P