Graham Staines case: SC defers Dara Singh's release plea to Aug 19

The Supreme Court has adjourned till August 19 the hearing on a plea by Dara Singh, convicted in the Graham Staines murder case, seeking premature release. The court is awaiting a decision from a committee set up by the Odisha government.

The Supreme Court has adjourned till August 19 the hearing on a plea by Dara Singh seeking premature release, who has been convicted and sentenced to life in the 1999 triple-murder of missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons. The Court said it expects the committee to make a decision in the meantime.A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Vijay Bishnoi deferred the matter on Tuesday after the Odisha government sought a short adjournment, informing the Court that the committee tasked with deciding Singh's request had called for the relevant records, which were yet to be made available.The Court accordingly posted the matter for hearing on August 19. "In the meantime, we expect that the Committee shall take its decision," the Court said.

Background of the Case

Singh, who is also known as Rabindra Kumar Pal, was convicted of the January 1999 killing of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons, Philip and Timothy, who were burnt alive while sleeping in their vehicle outside a church in Odisha's Keonjhar district.

Arguments for Premature Release

In his petition, filed through Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, Singh contended that he has completed over 24 years of actual imprisonment without remission and has served well beyond the minimum period required under the Odisha government's premature release policy.

The plea states that Singh has never been released on parole, including when his mother died, and argues that continued incarceration despite completing the qualifying period violates his rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

Expressing remorse, the petition says Singh "acknowledges and deeply regrets the transgressions perpetrated more than two decades ago" and claims that he has repented during his long years in prison.

The plea further states that the principles of reformative justice support his release, arguing that he has "well understood and is repenting the consequences of his action" and now seeks an opportunity to reintegrate into society. It also alleges discrimination, claiming that similarly placed convicts have been granted premature release while his case remains pending. (ANI)

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