A. Ranjani Kumaranayake v. Somapala Gamage – CA NO. 1261/00-2016

In the case between A. Ranjani Kumaranayake (Plaintiff-Respondent) and Somapala Gamage (Defendant-Appellant), the court addressed the issue of whether the Plaintiff had adequately identified the disputed land in a possessory action and was entitled to regain possession following alleged dispossession by the Defendant. It was held that the Plaintiff sufficiently established both the identification of the land (Lot No. 769 1/2) and continuous possession, subsequently proving dispossession by the Defendant within the required time period. The principle reaffirmed is that, for a possessory action, the identity of the land and actual possession—not the question of title—are paramount. The decision rested upon consistent documentary and witness evidence and clarified that the Primary Court’s ear