Kumara Unnahalage Swarnasiri Dias Vs The Hon. Attorney General – CA-HCC-86/22-2025

In the case between Kumara Unnahalage Swarnasiri Dias and The Hon. Attorney General, the court addressed the issue of whether the accused possessed the requisite knowledge (mens rea) regarding the concealed drugs found in his footwear, an essential element for establishing criminal possession and trafficking under relevant narcotics laws. It was held that the evidence presented failed to conclusively establish that the accused had actual or imputed knowledge of the presence of illicit drugs, creating reasonable doubt as to his awareness. The holding reaffirmed the principle that criminal liability for drug offences requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt of both physical possession and conscious knowledge. This decision relied on established precedents and statutory interpretation, emphas