Buddhika Nandana Paranawithana and Vidanage Prasanna Indika Perera vs The Hon. Attorney General – CA-HCC 281-282/19-2023

In the case between The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (represented by the Hon. Attorney General) and Buddhika Nandana Paranawithana (1st Accused), Vidanage Prasanna Indika Perera (2nd Accused), the court addressed the issue of whether the accused were in possession and trafficking of heroin under the Poisons, Opium, and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. It was held that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused knowingly possessed and attempted to traffic heroin, thereby affirming the convictions and death sentences. The principle reaffirmed was that possession requires both physical control and knowledge of the nature of the substance, drawing on established case law and statutory interpretation. The court emphasized that alleged procedural lapses, such as