Surendrani Amirthanathan vs Commander of the Army – SC FR APPLICATION NO. 237/2013-2023

In the case between multiple petitioners, including Surendrani Amirthanathan, Constance Selvaranee Niles, and Thevanayaki Kunanayagam, and various respondents such as Army officials and the Secretary – Ministry of Defence, the primary legal issue concerned allegations of unlawful occupation of the petitioners’ lands in Jaffna by the Army, raising claims of fundamental rights violations under Articles 12(1) and 14(1)(h) of the Constitution. The petitions challenged the legality of the Army’s possession, fence construction, and use of the land, asserting a lack of due process in acquisition. The dispute centered on the sufficiency of the petitioners’ title ownership evidence, use of land plans (including Plan No. 665A), and the Army’s entitlement to occupy the property. It was determined tha