Kandana Arachchige Nalin Sampath Pushpakumara vs The Attorney General – CA/HCC/0006/23-2024

In the case between Kandana Arachchige Nalin Sampath Pushpakumara (Appellant, 3rd accused-appellant) and the Attorney General (Respondent, for the State), the court addressed the sufficiency and reliability of evidence supporting a conviction for murder, centering on conflicting dying declarations, eyewitness identification under challenging conditions, and the appellant’s alibi. It was held that the prosecution’s evidence, including dying declarations, eyewitness testimony, and forensic analysis, was sufficient to justify the conviction and sentence. The court reaffirmed the principle that the trial court is entitled to determine the reliability of evidence and the credibility of witness statements, with special attention to the proper evaluation of defence evidence such as an alibi and d