Virendra Kirthi Bandara Godamunne vs. Road Development Authority et al. – CA WRIT/85/2019-2023

In the case between Virendra Kirthi Bandara Godamunne (representing the Godamunne Walauwwa) and the Road Development Authority along with associated government officials, the central legal issue concerned whether a state infrastructure project, specifically a road widening initiative, could lawfully proceed when it potentially threatened the preservation of a protected ancient monument. The court determined that statutory and procedural safeguards—particularly those under the Antiquities Ordinance and the Land Acquisition Act—were not fully satisfied, notably the requirement for a comprehensive impact assessment by the Director General of Archaeology prior to undertaking works affecting the monument. The credibility and procedural soundness of the NBRO vibration test report were called int