Maarukku Kankanamalage Anura Kumarasiri vs. The Hon. Attorney General – CA/HCC/0036/2020-2024

In the case between The Hon. Attorney General and Maarukku Kankanamalage Anura Kumarasiri, the court addressed the issue of whether the evidence concerning grave sexual abuse of a minor was sufficiently reliable and whether any inconsistencies in the victim’s testimony, particularly regarding the date and particulars of the offense, created reasonable doubt or misled the accused. It was held that the conviction previously entered by the High Court was to be affirmed, with the determination that minor discrepancies or errors in an indictment are not material unless shown to have misled the accused, thereby reaffirming the principle that the credibility of substantive evidence prevails over immaterial inconsistencies. The decision was grounded in the relevant statutes, including the Code of