The Supreme Court of India warned the Odisha state government on Wednesday that it would step in to decide the premature release plea of Ravindra Pal, also known as Dara Singh, if state authorities continue to delay their decision on his remission request. Singh is serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two young sons.
A bench comprising Justices Manoj Misra and Vijay Bishnoi expressed strong disapproval over repeated adjournments caused by the state government’s inaction. Addressing state counsel, the bench emphasized that failure by the State Sentence Review Board to make a determination would compel the court to issue its own order. The judges rejected a letter submitted by prison officials citing pending local jail reports, describing such submissions as avoidance tactics, and scheduled the next hearing for September 2.
Singh, now 63, petitioned the apex court in 2024 seeking early release after serving more than 24 years of actual imprisonment without remission. In his plea, he invoked the state’s 2022 premature release policy, asserting that he has completed more than the required 14-year minimum sentence. He argued that the prolonged administrative inaction jeopardized his constitutional right to liberty under Article 21.
Convict Claims Remorse And Seeks Reform
In his court submission, Singh stated that he deeply repented for actions committed in his youth and expressed a desire to engage in community service. He indicated a commitment to spiritual reform and requested an opportunity to reintegrate into society. The court had previously granted the Odisha administration a one-month deadline in July to evaluate the petition, a timeline the state failed to meet.
Overview Of The 1999 Attack
The case stems from the killings of Graham Staines and his sons, 11-year-old Philip and eight-year-old Timothy, on the night of January 22, 1999, in Manoharpur village, Keonjhar district. Staines and his wife, Gladys, worked with the Mayurbhanj Evangelical Missionary organization providing care to leprosy patients. A mob led by Singh trapped the missionary and his children inside their vehicle and set it on fire while they slept.
In 2003, a special Central Bureau of Investigation court convicted Singh and sentenced him to death. The Orissa High Court commuted the sentence to life imprisonment in 2005, a verdict later upheld by the Supreme Court in 2011. While co-accused Mahendra Hembram continues to serve a life sentence for his involvement, 11 other individuals were acquitted by the high court due to insufficient evidence. Gladys Staines, who received the Padma Shri in 2005 for her humanitarian work, publicly stated that she had forgiven the perpetrators.
