Order

Introduction

The Petitioner is a body corporate duly incorporated under the Companies Act, No. 7 of 2007, which is capable of suing and being sued in its corporate name. Further, the Petitioner claims that he is the local buyer of a certain consignment of salt imported by the 6^th Respondent as the consignee. The 1^st Respondent is the Senior Deputy Director of Customs, who held an inquiry and delivered an order on 29.09.2025 (P17), and the 2^nd Respondent is an Assistant Preventive Officer, attached to the Sri Lanka Customs, who investigated the matter. The 3^rd Respondent is the Director of Customs, under whose supervision the investigation was conducted. The 4^th Respondent is the Director of Customs, who is authorized to conduct the sales according to the tender (impugned). The 5^th Respondent is the Director General of Sri Lanka, appointed in terms of the Customs Ordinance, No. 17 of 1869 (as amended), and the 1^st to 3^rd Respondents are his subordinates. The 6^th Respondent is the consignee of the goods, whilst the 7^th Respondent is sued in his representative capacity as Attorney General.

The consignment of certain salt imported by the 6^th Respondent (later purchased by the Petiti