A Colombo court battle unfolds as a pilot seeks legal recognition that Sri Lankan cricketer Chamika Karunaratne is the father of her child, demanding DNA testing and official documentation to confirm the alleged paternity.
A significant legal dispute has surfaced in Sri Lanka after a pilot filed a petition at the Colombo District Court requesting a formal declaration that her child was born to national cricketer Chamika Karunaratne. The petition seeks legal recognition of the child’s paternity and asks the court to confirm that the cricketer is the biological father.
The petitioner, Sewwandi Senadheera, has named cricketer Chamika Karunaratne, the child allegedly born to him, and the Registrar General as respondents in the case. Through this legal action, she hopes to secure an official declaration confirming the identity of the child’s father and to obtain legal recognition through the proper documentation.
According to the petition, Senadheera claims that her minor child, Aryan Karunaratne, was born on September 29, 2025. She asserts that the child’s biological father is Chamika Karunaratne, who is widely known for representing Sri Lanka in international cricket competitions.
Relationship claims and allegations
In her court filing, Senadheera states that she had an intimate relationship with Chamika Karunaratne around the year 2023. She alleges that during that time he persuaded her to engage in a sexual relationship.
The petitioner further claims that after she became pregnant, the cricketer began distancing himself from her and eventually refused to acknowledge the child or accept paternity. According to her account, repeated attempts to resolve the matter privately were unsuccessful.
As a result, she has now sought legal intervention through the Colombo District Court to determine the paternity of the child and formally recognize Chamika Karunaratne as the father.
Request for official declaration and DNA testing
In the petition submitted to the court, Senadheera has asked the Colombo District Court to issue a declaration confirming that Chamika Karunaratne is the biological father of the child in question.
She has also requested that the court direct the Registrar General to issue a birth certificate identifying the cricketer as the child’s father. In addition, the petitioner has asked the court to order a DNA test involving both the child and Chamika Karunaratne to scientifically establish paternity.
When the petition was considered on March 10, the Colombo District Court ordered that the case be recalled on March 31. The court also instructed that notices be sent to the respondents named in the petition so that they may appear and respond to the claims.
Earlier private complaint before the Magistrate’s Court
This legal dispute had previously reached the Colombo Magistrate’s Court through a private complaint filed earlier by the petitioner.
During that earlier case, the complainant sought a court order to conduct a DNA test to confirm the paternity of the child. The complaint was taken up before Colombo Magistrate Kasun Dissanayake on December 08 last year.
Attorney Jerusha Tambiah, representing the complainant, informed the court that the petitioner had given birth to a child following a sexual relationship with the respondent, who was described as her employer.
She argued that the respondent had denied paternity of the child and requested the court to issue an order permitting a DNA test to determine the truth. The lawyer further stated that legal precedent established by the Court of Appeal allows a Magistrate to issue such orders when necessary to resolve paternity disputes.
Legal objection to DNA test request
However, attorney Asela Rekawa, appearing on behalf of Chamika Karunaratne, strongly objected to the request made before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.
The lawyer stated that his client firmly denied being the father of the child. He also informed the court that the complainant had allegedly been involved in a relationship with an Indian national during the period when the child was conceived. A photograph was presented to support this claim.
Rekawa further argued that the Magistrate’s Court did not have the legal authority to issue an order requiring a DNA test under the circumstances presented.
Following arguments from both sides, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court granted bail to cricketer Chamika Karunaratne during the hearing held that day.
It was after these proceedings that Sewwandi Senadheera proceeded to file the present petition before the Colombo District Court seeking a declaration of paternity and a court ordered DNA test.
