Odisha Panel Clears Premature Release of Dara Singh in Staines Murder Case
The board acted on good-behavior grounds after considering 14 deferred life-term cases, and Singh has spent more than 26 years in prison.
- The Odisha State Sentence Review Board recommended the premature release of Dara Singh, the prime convict in the 1999 murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines, citing 'good behaviour' after more than 26 years in custody.
- On January 22, 1999, a mob allegedly led by Singh set fire to a vehicle in Manoharpur, killing Staines and his two sons, Philip and Timothy, which sparked global outrage over the attack.
- Following a CBI probe, a designated CBI court initially sentenced Singh to death in 2003, but the Orissa High Court commuted his sentence to life imprisonment in 2005, ruling the case did not fall within the "rarest of rare" category.
- Directed by the Supreme Court, the Odisha government must finalize a decision on Singh's remission application by August 15, following a petition filed by his counsel.
- If the government approves the board's recommendation, no individuals convicted in the killings of Staines and his sons will remain in prison, concluding a judicial process involving 14 total convicts.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Independence Day Freedom for Murder Convict Dara Singh?
Under the Odisha state premature release policy, prisoners whose death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment become eligible for remission after completing 25 years in prison, subject to recommendations by the Odisha State Sentence Review Board and approval by the state government. Dara Singh has now spent more than 26 years in prison.
Christian pastor Graham Staines and his two minor sons were burned alive. This time, the notorious murderer Dara Singh may be released from prison. The Odisha government may release him for 'good behavior' in jail. His imprisonment may end on this Independence Day.
Odisha Govt Panel Recommends Release of Dara Singh, Convicted For the 1999 Murder of Graham Staines and Sons
Notably, Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi had in 2022 supported Sudarshan TV’s editor Suresh Chavhanke to demand the release Singh. At the time Majhi was a Bharatiya Janata Party legislator.
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