Wanasinghe Mudiyanselage Wimalasena vs. The Hon. Attorney General – CA/HCC/0212/18-2024

In the case between the Hon. Attorney General and Wanasinghe Mudiyanselage Wimalasena, the court addressed whether the circumstantial evidence presented, including conflicting witness testimonies and forensic findings, established guilt beyond a reasonable doubt for the charge of murder. It was held that the prosecution’s cumulative evidence—including DNA analysis and the identification of key exhibits—was sufficient, and the conviction and sentence were accordingly affirmed. The decision reaffirmed the legal principle that circumstantial evidence, when cogent and reliable, can support a criminal conviction if it leaves no reasonable hypothesis consistent with innocence. Reliance was placed on established case law governing such evidence, emphasizing the prosecution’s burden to exclude any