The Supreme Court has given the Odisha government until August 15 to make a ruling on the remission request from Ravindra Pal, known as Dara Singh, who is currently serving a life sentence for the murders of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two young sons in Keonjhar district in 1999.
Justices Manoj Misra and Vijay Bishnoi scheduled the case for discussion on August 19 after the state government requested additional time. “Let him also celebrate Independence Day. You must take a decision by August 15,” the court instructed the Odisha government’s representative on Tuesday.
The court had previously directed the state’s sentence review committee to deliberate on Singh’s remission plea. “A request has been made by the state that the matter be postponed briefly as the committee that is to decide has requested the records, which are not yet available,” the judges noted while rescheduling the case for further review.
“In the meantime, we expect that the committee shall make its decision,” they added.
Dara Singh was the leading figure in a mob that attacked Staines and his two sons, 11-year-old Philip and 8-year-old Timothy, while they were asleep in their vehicle, setting it ablaze in Manoharpur village on the night of January 22-23, 1999.
Initially sentenced to death by a CBI court in 2003, Singh’s sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment by the Orissa High Court in 2005, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court in 2011.
During the recent hearing, the bench inquired about the progress of Singh’s application for early release. The state’s counsel, P. V. Yogeswaran, explained that the committee required specific documents from the district court, which are currently being obtained.
Last year, on March 19, the Supreme Court had instructed the Odisha government to reach a conclusion regarding Singh’s remission request.
Now 63, Singh filed the plea in 2024, arguing for early release based on having served over 24 years in prison and expressing remorse for his actions taken during a moment of “youthful rage.” He mentioned his belief in karmic philosophy and expressed a desire to reform and make amends for the negative karma resulting from his past deeds.
In his petition, filed through advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, Singh sought the court’s leniency, promising to contribute positively to society through “service-oriented actions.” He also called for the state government to evaluate his case according to the 2022 guidelines for the premature release of life convicts.
Singh, imprisoned at the Keonjhar district jail, pointed out that he has surpassed the required 14 years of imprisonment under the April 19, 2022 policy, having spent over 24 years without remission. He claimed that the relevant authorities were legally bound to consider his case, and their failure to do so infringed upon his right to liberty as guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution.
Mehendra Hembram, Singh’s associate, is also serving life imprisonment for the case, while 11 other defendants were acquitted by the high court due to insufficient evidence.
Graham Staines and his wife Gladys, who were associated with the Mayurbhanj Evangelical Missionary organisation, dedicated their lives to caring for leprosy patients. Gladys Staines, honored with the Padma Shri in 2005, stated that she forgave those responsible for the deaths of her husband and sons, harboring no resentment towards them.
