Cricketer granted bail after objection to paternity test

Chamika Karanaratne(L)

In a case that is growing with public curiosity and interest, Sri Lanka cricketing all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne who is facing charges of fathering a child by a woman he is not wedded to was released yesterday by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on surety bail of Rs.100,000 with the case to be taken up for hearing on January 30, 2026 after his lawyer objected to a DNA test to establish the veracity of the case.

Karunaratne, 29, is currently a contracted Sri Lanka cricketer who has played in 26 ODI matches and 45 T20 Internationals.

The complaint against the cricketer was made by an airline pilot Sewwandi Senaratne who wants him to accept responsibility for fathering the child and requested Court to seek a blood sample from him to prove his paternity in the aftermath of a relationship she had with him who she claimed had promised to marry her.

Karunaratne’s lawyer Asela Rekawa objected to the DNA test while claiming the court had no legal authority to order such a test as his client had already denied the allegation made by Senaratne against him.

Senaratne is also seeking a court ruling for Karunaratne to either marry her or pay compensation for the child’s maintenance.

Jerusa Tambaiyah, the lawyer who is taking care of Senaratne’s interests in the case had requested court to conduct a DNA test on Karunaratne.

But Rekawa told court that the responsibility of proving Karunaratne was the child’s father rested with the complainant Senadheera who he claimed had been pictured with an India pilot.