Key facts
- Dara Singh, convicted of murdering Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons in 1999, has petitioned India's Supreme Court for release.
- Singh has been in jail since 2000, serving a life sentence for burning the victims alive.
- The petition states Singh regrets his actions and has exhibited good conduct in prison.
- The Supreme Court has given state authorities a deadline to decide on Singh's remission plea.
- The potential release has caused disquiet among India's Christian minority.
Dara Singh, convicted of the brutal 1999 murder of Australian Christian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons, has petitioned India's Supreme Court for early release. Singh, whose real name is Rabindra Kumar Pal, has been in jail since his arrest in 2000, serving a life sentence for burning the victims alive in Odisha. The crime, which occurred after Singh and associates from Hindu hardline groups accused Staines of forced conversions, drew international condemnation.
Singh's petition argues that he has served over 25 years, has maintained good conduct in prison, and expresses remorse for his actions, attributing them to the 'fervour of youth'. He claims there was no personal animosity towards the victims. However, reports of his potential release have stirred unease within India's Christian community, particularly given Singh's past statements expressing no regret for killing the children and his intent to continue opposing cow slaughter and conversions if released.
In 2003, Singh was sentenced to death, a sentence later commuted to life imprisonment by the high court and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2011. He has also been convicted for other violent crimes against religious minorities in 1999, including the burning of a church and the murder of a Catholic priest, and for beating a Muslim man to death. He was also implicated in cases of hijacking trucks carrying cows.
Graham Staines' widow, Gladys, has previously stated she forgave Dara Singh in the Christian spirit. However, the anxiety among religious minorities in Odisha persists, referencing the state's history of anti-Christian violence, including the 2008 Kandhamal riots. The Supreme Court has urged state authorities to decide on Singh's remission plea by September 2, warning it will intervene if they fail to do so.