Vithanage Don Ranjith alias Ukku Ranjith v. Hon. Attorney General – CA-HCC-249/2020-2022

In the case between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Attorney General) and Vithanage Don Ranjith alias Ukku Ranjith, the court addressed the issue of whether the conviction and death sentence for murder were supported by credible and sufficient evidence, with particular emphasis on the admissibility and reliability of the deceased’s dying declaration, the sufficiency of identification evidence, and the propriety of the High Court’s assessment of the defense. It was held that the dying declaration met the requisite legal standards, the medical evidence did not preclude the victim’s capacity to speak, and the identification of the accused was substantiated. The conviction and sentence were affirmed, reaffirming the principle that clear, credible, and corroborated dying declara