IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA Weerappulige Piyaseeli Fernando, No. 37, Yagamwela, Dummalasooriya.

Plaintiff SC APPEAL NO: SC/APPEAL/57/2016 SC LA NO: SC/HCCA/LA/461/2013 HCCA KURUNEGALA NO: NWP/HCCA/KUR/84/2007 (F)

DC KULIYAPITIYA NO: 11189/L Vs.

1. Rathugamage Mary Agnes Fernando, ‘Reinland Estate’, Yagamwela, Dummalasuriya (Deceased).

1A. Mihidukulasuriya Sudath Harison Pinto (also named as 1B1), 1B. Mihidukulasuriya Victor Pinto (Deceased), 1C. Mihidukulasuriya Sarath Asinas Pinto (also named as 1B2), All of ‘Reinland Estate’, Yagamwela, Dummalasuriya.

2. Chithranganee Ratnamali Merlin De Soyza, No. 9, Fonseka Place, Colombo 05.

3. Anusha Chithra Mawli Geetal De Soyza, No. 4A, Keenakele Watta, Marawila.

4. Francis Dilini Anusha De Silva, No. 50, Ele Bank Road, Colombo 05.

5. Ranil De Soyza, No. 50, Ele Bank Road, Colombo 05.

6. Malani De Soyza, No. 50, Ele Bank Road, Colombo 05.

7. Siri Nanayakkara, No. 798, Galle Road, Molligoda, Wadduwa. Defendants AND BETWEEN Weerappulige Piyaseeli Fernando, No. 37, Yagamwela, Dummalasooriya.

Plaintiff-Appellant Vs.

1. Rathugamage Mary Agnes Fernando, ‘Reinland Estate’, Yagamwela, Dummalasuriya (Deceased).

1A. Mihidukulasuriya Sudath Harison Pinto (also named as 1B1), 1B. Mihidukulasuriya Victor Pinto (Deceased), 1C. Mihidukulasuriya Sarath Asinas Pinto (also named as 1B2), All of ‘Reinland Estate’, Yagamwela, Dummalasuriya.

2. Chithranganee Ratnamali Merlin De Soyza, No. 9, Fonseka Place, Colombo 05.

3. Anusha Chithra Mawli Geetal De Soyza, No. 4A, Keenakele Watta, Marawila. 4. Francis Dilini Anusha De Silva, No. 50, Ele Bank Road, Colombo 05.

5. Ranil De Soyza, No. 50, Ele Bank Road, Colombo 05.

6. Malani De Soyza, No. 50, Ele Bank Road, Colombo 05.

7. Siri Nanayakkara, No. 798, Galle Road, Molligoda, Wadduwa.

Defendant-Respondents AND NOW BETWEEN

1A. Mihidukulasuriya Sudath Harison Pinto (also named as 1B1), Reinland Estate, Yagamwela, Dummalasuriya.

Defendant-Respondent-Appellant

1B. Mihidukulasuriya Victor Pinto (Deceased), 1C. Mihidukulasuriya Sarath Asinas Pinto (also named as 1B2) (Deceased), 1C(a). Samarakoon Mudiyanselage Wimalawathi, 1C(b). Sawinda Pranith Mihindukulasuriya, Both of ‘Reinland Estate’, Yagamwela, Dummalasuriya.

1C(a), 1C(b) Substituted Defendant-

Respondent-Appellants Vs.

Weerappulige Piyaseeli Fernando, No. 37, Yagamwela, Dummalasooriya.

Plaintiff-Appellant-Respondent

2. Chithranganee Ratnamali Merlin De Soyza, No. 9, Fonseka Place, Colombo 05.

3. Anusha Chithra Mawli Geetal De Soyza, No. 4A, Keenakele Watta, Marawila. 4. Francis Dilini Anusha De Silva, No. 50, Ele Bank Road, Colombo 05.

5. Ranil De Soyza, No. 50, Ele Bank Road, Colombo 05.

6. Malani De Soyza, No. 50, Ele Bank Road, Colombo 05.

7. Siri Nanayakkara, No. 798, Galle Road, Molligoda, Wadduwa.

2-7 Defendant-Respondent-

Respondents Before: Jayantha Jayasuriya, P.C., C.J.

A.H.M.D. Nawaz, J.

Mahinda Samayawardhena, J.

Counsel: Jacob Joseph for the 1A Defendant-Respondent-Appellant.

Dr. Sunil Coorey with Sudarshani Coorey for the Plaintiff-

Appellant-Respondent. Argued on : 17.10.2022 Written submissions:

by the 1A Defendant-Respondent-Appellant on 29.04.2016 and 02.01.2023 by the Plaintiff-Appellant-Respondent on 19.09.2016 and

29.11.2022 Decided on: 11.09.2023 Samayawardhena, J.

Introduction The plaintiff filed this action in the District Court of Kuliyapitiya seeking a declaration of title to, ejectment of the defendant from, the two allotments of land described in the schedule to the plaint, and damages. The plaintiff relied on deed No. 3016 to claim title to the said allotments. The 1^st defendant filed answer seeking dismissal of the plaintiff’s action on the basis that the 1^st defendant came into possession of the land upon making some advance payments to the vendors of deed No. 3016 well before the execution of this deed. After trial, the District Court dismissed the plaintiff’s action accepting the defendant’s version. On appeal, the High Court of Civil Appeal of Kurunegala set aside the judgm