Dambarawe Gedara Sujeewa Premasiri alias Indika vs Officer in Charge Police Station Matale – CA BAL/0061/21-2022

In the case between the Petitioner (seeking bail for the suspect Dambarawe Gedara Sujeewa Premasiri, alias Indika) and the Respondents, including the Officer in Charge and the Attorney General, the main issue considered was whether bail should be granted under the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act No. 4 of 2015 in view of alleged exceptional circumstances. It was held that prolonged remand spanning approximately two years and four months, coupled with unexplained procedural delays, constitutes an exceptional circumstance justifying the grant of bail to the suspect. The decision reaffirmed the flexible interpretation of “exceptional circumstances” under the Act and relied on the legislative intent for expeditious proceedings, with the court emphasizing that