Jegatheeswaran Karikaran vs Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC/0340/2017-2022

In the case between the Attorney General, representing the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Respondent), and Jegatheeswaran Karikaran (Appellant), the court addressed the propriety of a conviction and sentence of death for murder under section 296 read with section 32 of the Penal Code. It was held that the prosecution had not established a direct or exclusive nexus between the accused and the alleged offence, and that the circumstantial evidence was improperly evaluated by the High Court. The findings reaffirmed the principle that suspicion, however grave, cannot suffice for a criminal conviction, and that an accused’s dock statement must be given proper evidential consideration. Reliance was placed on established precedent regarding the evaluation of circumstantial evidence an