Rani Shanthilatha Senarathne vs. Officer in Charge Child and Women Bureau, Matara – CA BAIL 31/2022-2022

In the case between Rani Shanthilatha Senarathne (petitioner/bail applicant) and the Officer in Charge, Child and Women Bureau, Police Station, Matara; Officer in Charge, Police Station, Matara; and the Hon. Attorney General (respondents), the court addressed the issue of whether Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Anurudda Saman Disanayake should be granted bail under Section 10(1)(a) of the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act No. 4 of 2015. It was held that the grounds presented, such as the suspect’s extended remand and role as sole breadwinner, did not satisfy the threshold of “exceptional circumstances” required for bail, particularly in light of recurring and ongoing harassment of the victim. This decision reaffirmed the principle that personal or familial hardsh