Iguruwaththa Gedara Senarathne Ranathunga alias Gamini vs. The Hon. Attorney General – CA/HCC/0008/2019-2024

In the case between the Hon. Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo 12 (Complainant-Respondent) and Iguruwaththa Gedara Senarathne Ranathunga alias Gamini (Accused-Appellant), the court addressed the sufficiency of circumstantial evidence—comprising witness testimonies and forensic observations—in establishing the accused’s guilt for the death of a 3-year-old minor, under section 296 of the Penal Code, beyond reasonable doubt. The holding established that the cumulative circumstantial evidence was adequate to confirm guilt and that the compartmentalization and reliance on expert medical evidence by the High Court Judge did not constitute a misdirection. Principles related to the assessment of circumstantial evidence, as articulated in The King Vs. Abeywickrama and Don Sun