The Anuradhapura High Court has scheduled October 19 for the continuation of evidence from the doctor who was allegedly sexually assaulted inside her official quarters at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, in a case that sparked widespread public outrage.
North Central Provincial High Court Judge Indika Attanayake issued the order when the case against the accused former Army soldier was taken up before the Anuradhapura High Court on Friday (28).
The doctor appeared before the High Court for the first time to give evidence in the case.
When proceedings commenced, the court was informed that Senior State Counsel Himali Jayaneththi, specially assigned to the case by the Attorney General’s Department, was appearing for the prosecution.
Attorneys Suranga Mohotti and Gayan Siriwardena appeared for the accused, while President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa, along with attorneys Kujana Banagoda, Madara Wijesinghe, Janith Mahasen and Subhashini Weerakkody, represented the interests of the victim.
Judge Attanayake ordered the examination of the doctor to commence and directed police to clear the courtroom of all persons not connected to the case while she was giving evidence.
The doctor subsequently testified for more than one-and-a-half hours under examination by Senior State Counsel Jayaneththi.
The judge postponed the continuation of her evidence until October 19 and ordered both the doctor, who is the first witness, and her father, the second witness, to appear in court on that date.
The Government Analyst was directed to submit a forensic report on the doctor’s smartphone at the next hearing. Police had recovered the device after it was allegedly taken by the accused following the assault and concealed in the Galnewa area.
Dialog was also ordered to submit an analysis of calls linked to the doctor’s mobile phone on the same date.
The accused has been indicted under Section 345 of the Penal Code, as amended by Acts No. 22 of 1995 and No. 16 of 2006, for allegedly sexually harassing the doctor and committing a criminal offence on or around March 10, 2025.
The Attorney General has also indicted him under Section 364(1) of the Penal Code, as amended by Act No. 22 of 1995, over the alleged rape of the doctor.
The accused, identified as former Army soldier K.B. Madhuranga Ratnayake of D-3, Ela Road, Galnewa New Town, is charged with sexually assaulting a postgraduate trainee in paediatrics attached to the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital. It has also been reported that he had previously been ordained as a monk.
Treating the matter as a special case, the Attorney General directly filed indictments in the Anuradhapura High Court without conducting a non-summary inquiry before the Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court.
A total of 42 witnesses have been named in the case. They include Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital Consultant Judicial Medical Officer Sampath Senathunga; Anuradhapura Headquarters Chief Inspector R.M. Jayaweera; Chief Inspector Nishani Seneviratne, Officer-in-Charge of the Women and Children’s Bureau at the Anuradhapura Police Headquarters; Sub-Inspector A.C. Dayananda; several doctors and medical staff members; and civilians.
Productions listed in the case include a mobile phone, knife, several items of clothing, a bedsheet, hair and blood samples, a judicial medical report, Government Analyst’s reports and correspondence, Genetech reports and correspondence, an identification parade report and several property receipts.
State Counsel Akila Dalpadadu of the Attorney General’s Department filed the indictments against the accused on May 22, 2026.
