MendisJayasinghe Ranga Udesh Kumara Vs. The Officer in Charge, Police Station, Gandara and others – CA BAL 0010/2022-2021

In the case between Mendis Jayasinghe Ranga Udesh Kumara (2nd Suspect-Petitioner) and the Officer in Charge, Police Station, Gandara (Complainant-Respondent), the court addressed the issue of whether bail should be granted under the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act No. 04 of 2015, where proceedings against the petitioner were delayed, and the main evidence had concluded. The court held that bail could be granted on the basis of “exceptional circumstances,” reaffirming the principle that the Act seeks to balance protection for victims and witnesses with the timely administration of justice for suspects. Reliance was placed on the explicit provisions and objectives of the Act, emphasizing that procedural delays cannot override the suspect’s liberty where spe