Kankanam Tantrilage Antony alias Baba vs. The Attorney General – CA-HCC-167/2016-2022

In the case between the Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo 12 (Appellant/Complainant) and Kankanam Tantrilage Antony alias Baba (Accused-Appellant), the court addressed the justification of the conviction and imposition of a death sentence for murder under Section 296 of the Penal Code. The central issues considered were the reliability and corroboration of witness evidence, the voluntariness and admissibility of the accused’s statement to police, and the application of legal principles regarding late claims of torture and compulsion. It was held that the conviction and sentence were properly based on coherent eyewitness testimony, a credible dying declaration, and consistent forensic and medical evidence. The principle reaffirmed is that a criminal conviction must re