Omalpage Kumuduni Ranasinghe vs Hon. Attorney General – BAL/97/22-2023

In the case between the sister of Omalpage Dinesh Harsha Ranasinghe (Petitioner) and the Attorney General, together with the Officer-in-Charge of the Colombo Crime Division (Respondents), the court addressed the issue of whether exceptional circumstances existed to justify granting bail under Section 83(2) of the Poisons, Opium, and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance in a matter involving a commercial quantity of heroin. It was held that the grounds advanced, including alleged inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case and procedural delays, did not amount to exceptional circumstances warranting the grant of bail. The principle reaffirmed was that commercial scale narcotics offences attract stringent bail restrictions, and conditions cited must clearly surmount the statutory threshold. This decision