Kandage Pushpa Jayantha Perera vs. The Hon. Attorney General – CA/HCC/148/18-2024

In the case between the Honorable Attorney General (Respondent) and Kandage Pushpa Jayantha Perera (Appellant), the court addressed the issue of the admissibility and reliability of evidence relating to the possession and trafficking of heroin, specifically focusing on the preservation of the chain of custody and material irregularities in the handling of physical evidence. It was held that substantial deficiencies in the prosecution’s case, including inconsistencies in witness testimony, failure to produce key evidence, contradictions regarding evidence handover dates, and procedural irregularities, established reasonable doubt. This determination reaffirmed the principle that the chain of custody must be strictly maintained in narcotic prosecutions to secure a conviction. The decision re