Parana Palliyage Ajith vs Hon. Attorney-General – CA APPEAL NO.127/2009-2013

In the case between Parana Palliyage Ajith (Accused-Appellant) and the Hon. Attorney-General (Respondent), the court addressed the legality of the accused-appellant’s conviction for raping a minor under 16 years of age, specifically evaluating the impact of a 7-day delay in the victim’s reporting and the lawfulness of default sentences imposed for non-payment of fines and compensation. It was held that the delay in reporting did not affect the reliability of the victim’s testimony, particularly because medical evidence corroborated her account. However, the default imprisonment terms imposed by the trial court for non-payment of compensation and fine were found excessive and not in compliance with the relevant statutory provisions. The conviction was affirmed, default sentences were reduce