The State vs Edirisinghe Arachchige Prasanna alias Chooty Putha – CA/PHC/APN/0132/2021-2023

In the case between the Hon. Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo-12 (complainant/respondent), and Edirisinghe Arachchige Prasanna alias Chooty Putha (the 2nd Accused/petitioner), the court addressed the legality of the sentence imposed under Section 297 of the Penal Code following a conviction for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The court held that the original 12-year imprisonment exceeded the statutory maximum for convictions under the second limb of Section 297, which prescribes a term not exceeding 10 years. The court reinstated sentencing boundaries, modified the term of rigorous imprisonment to 5 years, maintained the fine, and ordered victim compensation, reaffirming the legal principle that sentencing must comply with statutory mandates and account f