Dissanayake Rallage Ranasingha and Dissanayake Rallage Wijesinghe vs Officer-in-Charge Police Station, Warakapola – SC APPEAL NO. 39/2011-2011

In the case between D.R. Ranasinghe alias Ukkun and D.R. Wijesinghe (Accused-Appellants) and the Officer-in-Charge, Police Station, Warakapola, along with the Attorney General’s Department (Respondents), the Supreme Court addressed whether the convictions for grievous hurt and robbery were supported by sufficient evidence, particularly concerning the evaluation of the plea of alibi and the application of the Ellenborough dictum. It was held that the evidence, including discrepancies in eyewitness accounts and deficiencies in the handling of the alibi defence, introduced reasonable doubt regarding the involvement of the 1st and 3rd accused. The application of the Ellenborough dictum was determined inappropriate in the absence of a robust prima facie case. The principle reaffirmed was that t