Pathirage Don Jeewani Krishanthi v. Officer in Charge, Police Station, Homagama & Hon. Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo 12 – CA BAL 36/2020-2020

In the case between Officer in Charge, Police Station, Homagama, and Hon. Attorney General (Respondents) and Pathirage Don Jeewani Krishanthi (Petitioner), the court addressed the issue of whether the petitioner was entitled to release on bail under Section 10(1)(a) of the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act No. 4 of 2015, specifically considering the necessity of establishing “exceptional circumstances” to justify such bail. The application arose after the petitioner, already on bail for a heroin possession charge, was alleged to have threatened a police officer via telephone while in remand custody, with respondents presenting telecommunication evidence linking the petitioner to the incident. It was held that the petitioner’s circumstances, including claims