Herath Mudiyanselage Sujith Tharanga _alias_ Ranga vs. The Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC 202/2023-2025

This case involves an appeal by Herath Mudiyanselage Sujith Tharanga alias Ranga (Accused-Appellant) against a conviction by the High Court of Ampara, with the Hon. Attorney General as the Complainant-Respondent. The appellant was indicted on charges of kidnapping a minor girl (Section 354 of the Penal Code) and grave sexual abuse (Section 365B(2)(b) of the Penal Code). The legal issues addressed concerned the High Court Judge’s assessment of prosecution evidence, including alleged weaknesses, contradictions among witnesses, and the improper reliance on hearsay evidence (Police Information Book statements) as substantive proof. It was determined that the victim’s testimony lacked direct knowledge of the perpetrator or the specific acts, and corroborating witnesses provided contradictory an