28 September 2023 :

The Colombo High Court on September 27, 2023 sentenced five people to death for heroin trafficking.
The judge, Namal Ballale, found the defendants guilty of transporting over 152 kilograms of heroin in a fishing vessel, which was intercepted by the Sri Lanka Navy off the coast of Ratmalana in 2019.
In his verdict, Justice Ballale stated that the charges filed by the Attorney General against the defendants had been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. He also noted that the defendants had not shown any remorse for their crime, and that the death penalty was necessary to deter others from engaging in similar activities.

09 July 2023 :

A Nigerian national who was found guilty for possession and trafficking 249.19g of Cocaine on July 6, 2023 was sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court.
Following a lengthy trial, a forty-year-old Nigerian named Chi Bo Uchchayana was sentenced to death by Colombo High Court Judge Namal Balalle ruling that the prosecution had proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt against the accused.
The accused was arrested with 1.7kgs of cocaine on May 27, 2016, in front of a Rajagiriya restaurant, during a raid carried out by the Police Narcotics Bureau.
The Attorney General had filed an indictment in the Colombo High Court against the Nigerian national under two counts for possessing and trafficking 249.19 grams of cocaine.

05 December 2023 :

The Central Province Civil Appellate High Court has sentenced two individuals to death after they were found guilty of murdering an individual back in 2010, Ada Derana reported on December 5, 2023.
The two accused, Saman Kumara Dissanayake and Samarakoon Bandara Wijekoon, who are residents of Gurubedda, Kandy, had been indicted before the Kandy High Court.
Announcing the verdict, High Court Judge Dr. Sumudu Premachandra stated that the prosecution has been able to prove the allegations against the two accused beyond any reasonable doubt.
The Attorney General had filed the case before the Kandy High Court charging the duo with murder for assaulting a person named Samy Aiya Dhana Balasinham to death, by punching and kicking him in the head and abdomen, as well as attacking him with clubs, in the Kande Handiya area of Kandy in July 2010.
The number of witnesses named in the case was 14, while 7 of them were eyewitnesses, according to Ada Derana reporter.

23 November 2023 :

A 41-year-old accused who was found guilty for murdering a 52-year-old woman who lived alone in her house by stabbing with a screwdriver on November 22, 2023 was sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court.
He was also ordered to 20 years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs.10,000 by the Colombo High Court for the first charge for forcible entry to the house of the deceased woman.
After considering the evidence transpired during the trial, Colombo High Court Judge Mahesh Weeraman observed that the prosecution was able to prove the charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
Considering the facts, the Colombo High Court Judge ordered to sentence him to death for the second charge while he was ordered to serve another 20 year imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of Rs.10,000 for the first charge.
The Attorney General had filed indictment in the Colombo High Court against accused Buddhika Hemantha Kumara alias Ajith Pushpakumara for forcibly entering a house of a woman who lived alone and stabbed to death her by using a screwdriver, on January 23 in 2018.
The suspect was 36 at the time of the incident which occurred while he was nabbed by the neighbours and later handed over to the Peliyagoda Police.
The investigations had revealed that the suspect had given statements regarding the matter to the Police by hiding his real name while using the name of his late brother-in-law.
Following that, his real name was revealed by Police Sergeant Jayantha Randeniya.
State Counsel Lishan Rathnayake and State Counsel Githmi Ranathunga appeared on behalf of the Attorney General.

16 October 2023 :

Kalutara High Court Judge Pradeep Abeyratne on October 10, 2023 convicted three accused for beating a person with clubs 31 years ago and sentenced them to death.
The judge also sentenced another accused to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.It was heard in the court that Dhanapala Fernando, who was a resident of Meegamawatta Colony, 5th Mile Post, was beaten to death on or around January 15, 1992, in Keeranthidiya, Navuttuduwa.
The defendants, Malmutuge Dayaratne alias Oliver, a resident of Pallegoda, Walagedara, Anagipura Ariyaratne alias Lokka, a resident of Keeranthidiya, Navuttuduwa, and Dharmathilaka Fernando alias Premathilaka Fernando, a resident of the Kirimatiya, Fifth Mile Post were sentenced to death.
The first defendant, Anagipura Prematilaka alias Raththa, a resident of Kalawila, Beruwala, was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs.300,000 was imposed.
In case of non-payment of the said compensation, another two years in prison sentence was imposed.
It was reported in court that the second accused died of cancer. After a riot between the two parties, the murder occurred and the accused were arrested by the Welipanna police in connection with the murder.
After a long trial of nearly 31 years, the verdict was announced.
A group of relatives of the defendants gathered in front of the Kalutara court by the time the verdict was delivered.

28 September 2023 :

The Kalutara High Court on September 27, 2023 sentenced to death eight persons over a murder reported 20 years ago.
The suspects were sentenced after being found guilty of killing a person by stabbing him with sharp weapons in 2003.
A resident of Kalil Place in Kalutara South had been stabbed to death by the suspects in March 2003.
Charges were filed against the suspects at the Kalutara High Court by the Attorney General.
According to media reports, the suspects are residents of Kalutara aged between 43 and 59 years.
After a 20-year trial, the verdict on the case was issued by Kalutara High Court Judge Pradeep Abeyratne.

09 March 2023 :

Five persons were sentenced to death on 8 March 2023 in Sri Lanka for murder.
The order was issued by Kegalle Provincial High Court Judge Jayaki de Alwis against five persons accused of murder over an incident that took place in 2014.
The five persons on death row had allegedly struck a man with a cement block during a party held at a residence in the Kahagalla area in Dewalagama, Kegalle on 3 July 2014.

02 March 2023 :

The Colombo High Court on 1^st March 2023 sentenced four accused to death after finding them guilty of killing a person using a sharp knife.
Following a lengthy trial Colombo High Court Judge Mahesh Weeraman maintained that the prosecution had proved the charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
The trial was held in the absence of the fourth accused since the inception of the trial and an open warrant has been issued against him.
Other three accused Mohamad Rashik alias Chinna, Mohamad Imthiyas alias Babu and Mohamad Rizwan alias Manna were appeared before the Court and all four accused including the fourth accused were sentenced to death following their guilty proved before the Court.
The Attorney General had filed indictments under Section 296 of the Penal Code in the Colombo High Court against the four accused for stabbing to death a person in Kotahena area in 2003.

22 February 2023 :

The Hambantota High Court on 15 February 2023 sentenced to death four Police officers, including an Officer-in-Charge (OIC) over the death of an individual during a raid on a gambling den in Thissamaharamaya.
The court was informed that a group of Police officers attached to the Crimes Division of the Thissamaharama Police Station had carried out the raid during which they had shot and killed an individual.
The incident is reported to have taken place on 28 June 2005.
The death sentence was imposed on the four accused, Officer-In-Charge of the Crimes Division of the Hungama Police, 58-year-old Inspector, Aranwala Gamage Upul, a resident of Ridiyagama, Ambalantota, retired Police Constable, resident at Tissamaharama, Jayanthi Vasage Susil Jayabandu (63), 51-year-old Sarambage Cyril, a resident of Dammulla Beliatta, a police constable attached to the State Intelligence Service at the Hambantota Port Police and 46-year-old Pathiraja Mudianselage Ranjith Susantha, who was a police constable of the Tissamaharama Police at that time and has currently been dismissed, residing at the address Ambanpola, Mahadivulwewa.
The four accused had launched an operation on 28 June 2005 in the Matarawatte, Debarawewa, Tissamaharama area to take into custody a suspect in connection with three robberies.
They had raided the house of the suspect at about midnight, located in Matarawatte, Debarawewa and taken him into custody, brought him out of his resident and then told the suspect to run and shot him. This had been revealed during initial police investigations. The suspect who was killed in the police shooting was Lokuhennadige Amila Mahesh of Matarawatte, Debarawewa.
It is the first time in the history of Sri Lanka that four police officers have been sentenced to death at the same time.
The plaintiff was represented by State Counsel Nimanka Jayawickrema on behalf of the Attorney General.

21 February 2023 :

Colombo High Court Judge Mahesh Weeraman sentenced to death two men who were found guilty of hacking death a man in 2008, News 1st reported on 15 February 2023.
The convicts were named as Gayan Dushantha and Dushan Priyankara alias 'Loku'.
They were found guilty of hacking to death an individual identified as 'Jamal Nana' in 2008 in Grandpass.
The Attorney General filed indictments under section 296 of the Penal Code against five accused for killing Jamal Nana using sharp tools in the Grandpass area between the period of 16 February and 30 March 2008.
Three others accused in the case were acquitted and released from all charges.

09 February 2023 :

The Colombo High Court on 7 February 2023 sentenced to death a father of two who was found guilty of killing a young man suspected of having an affair with his wife.
He was accused of stabbing the man 16-times resulting in his death.
Colombo High Court Judge Nawaratne Marasinghe sentenced the accused Asika Maduka to death after the prosecution proved the charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
The Attorney General had filed the case against the accused for killing Sadun Prasad in Mutuwal on the 12t March 2018.
The complaint noted that the accused was an employee at a local government institution, and on one particular day he had returned home to find his wife missing.
The complaint also noted that the accused had started searching for his wife in his three-wheeler and during the search he had seen his wife traveling in a three-wheeler with the victim.
It also noted that the accused had chased after them, and had an argument with both his wife and the victim.
The complaint further noted that thereafter, the lifeless body of the victim was found on the street.

15 June 2023 :

A 54-year-old man who had been in hiding for almost two decades and was later sentenced to death was arrested on June 14, 2023 in Ragama.
The convict and his brother were charged in 2001 with attacking a man with sharp weapons and beating him to death.
Both brothers were in remand custody, and following the 2004 tsunami, they were moved from the Negombo prison to another prison.
While they were being transported, the convict in question broke free and escaped.
The man who remained in remand custody was acquitted and released in 2012, and the escapee was sentenced to death by the court.
The man, who was sentenced to death, had been in hiding and was later arrested on June 14 after almost two decades, and he will be produced in court on June 15.