Imbulpitiya Gamage Anura Alias Podi (Presently in Prison) vs Hon. Attorney General – CA APPEAL HCC CASE NO. 13/23-2024

In Attorney General (Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka) v. Imbulpitiya Gamage Anura Alias Podi, the court considered whether the conviction for rape was sustainable given conflicting evidence regarding consent. The judgment determined that the prosecution’s case relied solely on the uncorroborated testimony of the victim, which contained contradictions and inconsistencies, while the appellant’s evidence remained consistent throughout. Established case law concerning the necessity for corroboration in serious sexual offence cases was applied. The conviction and sentence were set aside following a finding that the evidence did not exclude reasonable doubt as to consent, thereby reinforcing the principle that corroboration or compelling evidence is essential where testimonial credibi