Defendants vs. Respondents: Land Rights Dispute – SC APPEAL NO. 125/2010-2020

In the case between Nandasena Wickramasekara Rajapaksha (Appellant) and Wanniarachchi Kankanamalage Temawathie and Wanniarachchi Kankanamalage Julie Nona (Respondents), the court addressed issues concerning the entitlement to inherit state land under the Land Development Ordinance, the prescriptive rights over the disputed property, and the probative value of alleged fraudulent documents used to establish title. The court held that, although no valid state permit was produced, possession of the land by Babun Appuhamy and continued by his heirs generated a presumption of title in favor of the Respondents. Documents challenged as fraudulent did not defeat the Respondents’ claim as they failed to meet statutory requirements. The claim was not considered time-barred under the Prescription Ordi