Nandana Kumarage Sujeewa vs Officer-in-charge, Police Station, Rambukkana – SC/APPEAL/61/2023-2024

Brief
In the case between the Officer-in-charge, Police Station, Rambukkana (with the Hon. Attorney General representing the State) and Nandana Kumarage Sujeewa along with Nishanka Karunarathna, the Supreme Court addressed whether trial and appellate courts erred in rejecting the defence of alibi set forth by the accused and whether the conviction rested on insufficient evidence, especially concerning identification and the timing of the alibi disclosure. It was held that the trial court’s rejection of the alibi was proper and the conviction was based on a sufficient evidentiary foundation. The principles underscored include the statutory requirement under Section 126A of the Code of Criminal Procedure regarding prompt alibi disclosure, the allocation of the burden of proof, and the admiss