Ashoka Manjula Panditharathna vs Officer-In-Charge – CA PHC APN 75/12-2012

In the case between Ashoka Manjula Panditharathna and the Officer-in-Charge, Special Operation Unit, Police Station, Galle, the court addressed whether the continued remand detention of Dilum Iroshana Panditharathna for over two years without an indictment justified the grant of bail in relation to the alleged possession of 3.34 grams of heroin under the Poison, Opium, and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. It was held that the prolonged remand period, despite the government analyst’s report having been received, constituted an undue delay, warranting release on bail. The decision reaffirmed the principle that pre-indictment detention must not be unduly prolonged without justification, referencing procedural fairness, and highlighting the necessity that remand detention comply with both statutory