Mahinda Nanayakkara v. Upali Nanayakkara and K.A. Nanayakkara – SC APPEAL 146/2015-2021

In the case between Gurunnanselage Dona Sandya Manohari Wimalatunga and Rajathewa Mohotti Appuhamilage Nihal Seneviratne, the court addressed the issue of whether the Plaintiff had properly established a chain of title to the disputed lands and the correct identification of those lands through survey plans and deeds. It was held that the Plaintiff failed to prove a clear legal basis for declaration of title, given inconsistencies in survey evidence and deficiencies in the claimed chain of title. The principle reaffirmed is that in rei vindicatio actions, the burden rests firmly on the claimant to strictly prove title and land identity, and defects in evidence are fatal to such a claim. The reasoning drew on analysis of the documentary evidence, survey plans, and established legal precedent