Ranghamy vs Bodia – clr volume 2 page 176

In Ranghamy v. Bodia, the court considered whether the act of cutting a trespassing bull, resulting in its injury or rendering it useless, constituted the offence of mischief under Section 408 of the Ceylon Penal Code. It was held that such conduct, in the absence of evidence indicating intent or knowledge of causing damage as required by statute, did not meet the threshold for criminal liability for mischief. The case reinforced the principle that criminal intent or knowledge is essential for an act to qualify as mischief, drawing from relevant precedents and statutory interpretation. The conviction was set aside, underscoring the requirement for clear evidence of mens rea in similar cases.

Withers J. — It was determined that although injury was caused to the trespassing bull, the evi