A case in which a man was mistakenly indicted for a robbery for 13 years due to an identity mix-up has come to light at the Kurunegala High Court.
Prasad Kumara was the actual suspect in connection with a robbery that took place in the Mahamukalana area in 2013. However, instead of him, his elder brother, Priyantha Kumara, had been indicted in the case.
Although he had no connection to the robbery, Priyantha Kumara believed that he had also been named as a suspect and had appeared before the Kurunegala High Court for the case over the past several years.
The identity mix-up was uncovered after a warrant was issued for Priyantha Kumara's arrest on a day when he failed to appear before the court.
At that stage, a family member who had acted as a surety told the court that she had stood surety for Prasad Kumara, the younger brother of the person who had been facing the charges.
Thereafter, State Counsel Shashikala Kumari Hewage requested High Court Judge Tikiri K. Jayatilaka to conduct an inquiry to correctly identify the accused.
With the permission of the judge, the State Counsel questioned one of the sureties. She stated that she had stood surety for her father, Prasad Kumara, who has an amputated leg.
She further told the court that the person who had appeared before court up to that point was her father's brother.
She also stated that her father had not appeared before court because he had not been served with a summons and that he had remained at home awaiting the summons.
Accordingly, the court permitted the release of Priyantha Kumara, who had been mistakenly indicted due to the identity mix-up.
The court then proceeded to serve the indictment on Prasad Kumara, the actual suspect in the case.
The case is scheduled to be called again on September 22.
