Ariyasinghe and Others v Attorney General (Wickremasinghe Abduction Case) – sllr 2004 volume 2 page 357

Brief
In Ariyasinhhe and Others v. Attorney General, the court addressed whether the evidence, particularly the recovery and unexplained possession of ransom currency notes, justified the application of a presumption under section 114 of the Evidence Ordinance against the accused in a kidnapping and extortion case. It was held that the circumstantial evidence, including the possession of ransom money and corroborating witness identifications, was sufficient to support such a presumption, thereby establishing the participation of the accused in the conspiracy and commission of the offence. The court further determined that the appropriate legal classification for the offence was kidnapping with intent to unlawfully confine for ransom under section 356, rather than the original charge of abd