Supreme Court to hear petition demanding release of Dara Singh

  • The case of the burning a Christian missionary and his children in 1999

  • Court seeks responses from Odisha Govt and CBI

Dara Singh

New Delhi – The Supreme Court on January 6th, heard a petition seeking the release of Dara Singh, who was convicted in the murder of Australian Christian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two sons. The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Odisha Government and the CBI in this matter. The Supreme Court has directed both the parties to respond within 4 weeks. Since the investigation into the murder case was conducted by the CBI, the Supreme Court ordered the CBI to be made a party. The Supreme Court also directed the Odisha Government to submit the report of the five committees that considered the release of Dara Singh.

During the hearing in the Supreme Court, Dara Singh’s lawyer Vishnu Jain argued that Dara Singh is now 61 years old and has never been granted parole in the 25 years he has been in prison. When his mother passed away, he was not even allowed to attend the funeral.

What is the matter ?

In 1999, Graham Staines and his two sons were burnt alive in Keonjhar District of Odisha. The main accused in the murder case and Bajrang Dal activist Dara Singh was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2003. He has been in jail since 1999 and has now filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking his release.