Rankoth Pedige Sugathadasa v. Ilandara Pedige Piyadasa and Ilandara Pedige Martin – CA CASE NO. 338/99-2015

The case between Ilandara Pedige Piyadasa and Ilandara Pedige Martin (plaintiffs) and Rankoth Pedige Sugathadasa (defendant) addressed the issue of entitlement to declaration of title and possession over the paddy land “Kakala Panegama Kumbura.” The court held that the plaintiffs were entitled to possession and title, rejecting the defendant’s claim of tenant cultivator rights and jurisdictional challenge. The decision reaffirmed the principle that the law does not protect the forcible ousting of owners for cultivation purposes. This holding relied upon the absence of a valid tenant cultivator registration and a prior unappealed rejection of such status by the Agrarian Services Commissioner, emphasizing that disputes involving unlawful possession do not fall within the Agrarian Services Ac