Rasnegge Jayarathna vs The Hon. Attorney General – 147/2012-2015

In the case between Rasnegge Jayarathna (Accused-Appellant) and The Hon. Attorney General (Respondent), the court examined the legality of the conviction and death sentence imposed on the appellant for the murder of Mohomed Aliyar Mohomed Munaz, adjudicated primarily on circumstantial evidence. It was determined that the conviction, arising from a non-jury trial where the appellant was tried in absentia, was based on a continuous chain of evidence including forensic analysis, last-seen testimony, and the appellant’s unexplained absence following the incident. The central issue concerning the fairness of the trial, particularly under Section 241(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, was also addressed. The holding reaffirmed that a conviction based solely on circumstantial evidence is susta