Jooliyaa Baduge Benaji Punya Kumara vs. The Officer-in-Charge, Police Station, Weligama – BR 460/21-2023

In the case between Jooliyaa Baduge Benaji Punya Kumara (Petitioner/Suspect) and the Officer-in-Charge, Weligama Police Station, and the Attorney General, the court addressed the issue of whether bail should be granted under Section 83 of the Amended Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Act No.41 of 2022) despite the serious nature of the charge and the quantity of drugs involved. The court held that, in light of prolonged remand exceeding two years without the filing of charges, significant investigative delays, and the fundamental rights of the suspect, bail could be granted under stringent conditions. The principle reaffirmed is that seriousness of the offence does not preclude the grant of bail where exceptional circumstances, such as lengthy delays and procedural lapses, are