Benedict Selvaraja Vijaya Baskaran alias Viji v. The Hon. Attorney General – CA 228/2018-2021

In the case between Benedict Selvaraja Vijaya Baskaran alias Viji (Accused-Appellant) and The Hon. Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo-12 (Complainant-Respondent), the court addressed the issue of whether the prosecution established, beyond reasonable doubt, the integrity and continuity of the chain of custody for heroin presented as evidence in a trafficking case. It was held that the prosecution’s failure to demonstrate an unbroken and documented chain of custody raised reasonable doubt regarding the integrity of the key exhibit, warranting the acquittal of the Accused-Appellant. The principle reaffirmed was that strict compliance with evidence-handling procedures is fundamental to upholding a conviction in narcotics cases. This decision relied on relevant local and