Hon. Attorney General vs Sellamuttu Jeewa Malar – CA 176/2010-2013

In the case between the Hon. Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo 12 (Plaintiff) and Sellamuttu Jeewa Malar (Defendant), the court addressed the issue of whether the accused, convicted for importing and possessing 991 grams of heroin, had knowledge of the presence of heroin in the containers. The court held that the defendant’s explanation—claiming ignorance of the contents and acting at the request of an unknown individual—did not raise reasonable doubt regarding guilt. The conviction and sentencing by the trial court were upheld, reaffirming the principle that an implausible defense which does not generate reasonable doubt will not suffice to overturn a conviction when the prosecution’s case is proved beyond reasonable doubt. This decision relied on a rigorous assessm