Punala Vidanalage Lakshitha Thushara Manel vs Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC 55/20-2024

In the case between The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (through the Attorney General’s Department) and Punala Vidanalage Lakshitha Thushara Manel (2nd accused-appellant), the court addressed the issue of whether the evidence proved that the appellant acted with common intention in the murder of Wasantha Ranjith Abeysinghe. The court held that the appellant’s actions, in concert with the deceased 1st accused, established liability for murder under Section 32 of the Penal Code. The principal legal principle reaffirmed was that criminal liability attaches where a participatory presence and shared intent are proven, even in the absence of direct evidence as to who inflicted the fatal injury. The decision relied on precedent concerning the doctrine of common intention and emphasized