Eththiligoda Widanagamage Nadeeka Kumari v. Officer in Charge, Police Narcotics Bureau & Hon. Attorney General – CPA/12/2022-2022

In the case between Eththiligoda Widanagamage Nadeeka Kumari (Petitioner) and the Officer in Charge, Police Narcotics Bureau, and the Hon. Attorney General (Respondents), the court addressed the issue of whether the prolonged remand of a suspect without trial in narcotics-related proceedings constitutes sufficient “exceptional circumstances” to justify the granting of bail. The court held that nearly five years of remand without trial amounted to an oppressive delay, warranting the grant of bail under statutory provisions addressing exceptional circumstances. This decision reaffirmed the principle that protracted pre-trial detention could, in itself, amount to an excessive and unjust restriction of liberty, meriting judicial intervention. Reliance was placed on relevant statutes and case l