Udage Prasanna Udayakumara vs. Ceylon Petroleum Corporation – CA WRIT/13/2023-2023

In the case between Udage Prasanna Udayakumara (petitioner) and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation along with its officers (respondents), the court addressed whether the interdiction of an employee under Clause 20 of the Corporation’s Disciplinary Rules was valid in the absence of a completed investigation and whether the issuance of a Charge Sheet without prima facie evidence violated procedural standards. It was held that the Corporation’s Disciplinary Rules provide for automatic interdiction upon arrest, regardless of whether an inquiry has yet taken place. This determination reaffirmed that such interdiction is not a declaration of guilt and does not replace the necessity of a subsequent formal inquiry. The relevant statutes and case law were applied, emphasizing that the petitioner reta