A man in Sri Lanka was wrongfully indicted for a robbery he did not commit and has now been released after 13 years, following a case review at the Kurunegala High Court. The incident dates back to a 2013 robbery in the Maha Mukalanayaya area.

The elder brother, Priyantha Kumara, was mistakenly identified as the suspect and had been attending court proceedings for over a decade. However, it was later revealed that the actual suspect was his younger brother, Prasad Kumara.

The error came to light when Priyantha Kumara failed to appear in court, prompting the issuance of an arrest warrant. During a hearing, a family member who had provided bail clarified that the surety was for Prasad Kumara, not Priyantha.

State Counsel Shashikala Kumari Hewage asked the presiding judge, T.K I Jayathilake, to conduct an inquiry to verify the true identity of the accused. A surety for Prasad Kumara testified that her father—who had one leg amputated—was the actual suspect and had not been summoned to court, explaining his absence.

Following the inquiry, the court discharged Priyantha Kumara from the case, correcting the mistaken indictment. Prasad Kumara was officially charged in connection with the robbery. The case is scheduled to resume on September 22.