Danushka Gunathilaka, a Sri Lankan international cricketer, was granted bail after a judge heard that he had the backing of the government and Sri Lankan cricket organization and that a security of $150,000 had been put forward.

The 31-year-old was arrested in the early hours of November 6 at the Hyatt Regency hotel on Sussex Street before his team flew home without him following their Twenty20 World Cup loss to England.

When defense attorney Murugan Thangaraj, SC, requested Gunathilaka’s release on Thursday, the case was once more listed in the Local Court.

Section 74 of the Bail Act forbids making future requests to the same court after bail is denied “unless there are grounds for a new release application,” and the parties informed the court that no such issue had arisen.

The applicant was given permission to submit a second application after police prosecutor Sergeant Kerry-Ann McKinnon said they accepted the evidence before the court, including the additional suggested bail restrictions.

Gunathilaka made a video connection appearance from Parklea Correctional Centre wearing a green prison-issued tracksuit, socks, and thongs.

The accused’s failure to attend and his potential threat to the complainant’s safety were two unacceptable dangers, according to the police.

According to McKinnon, the woman had to disable her social media because she was being “harassed by unknown people with Sri Lankan names through it.”

Gunathilaka, she maintained, would also recall the complainant’s address.

According to Thangaraj, his client “has the support of the Sri Lankan government and a Sri Lankan cricket association.”

He declared, “Of course, his career will be ended if he breaches his bail.”

The court heard Gunathilaka, who has no criminal record, would be unlikely to face trial until 2024.

Sri Lanka Cricket suspends Danushka Gunathilaka:

Danushka Gunathilaka, a batsman for Sri Lanka, has been banned from all forms of cricket after being detained and accused of sexually assaulting a lady in Australia on Sunday while playing in the T20 World Cup 2022. According to the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket, Gunathilaka would not be considered for any national call-ups in any of the game’s formats.

Gunathilaka travelled to Australia with Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup team, however, he only got to play in their first match before suffering a hamstring strain and withdrawing from the tournament.

After losing their final match, Sri Lanka exited the T20 event on November 5. Gunathilaka was scheduled to go back to Sri Lanka the next day.
The case will be heard again in court on January 12.

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