Supreme Court Grants Murder Convict Dara Singh Two Weeks to Appeal Odisha's Decision

Dara Singh, convicted for the 1999 murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines, has been granted a two-week window by India's Supreme Court to appeal against Odisha's decision to deny his premature release after 27 years in custody. The State Sentence Review Board cited potential societal and communal disruptions as grounds for rejection.

The Supreme Court of India on Thursday provided a two-week extension to murder convict Rabindra Kumar Pal, known as Dara Singh, to contest the Odisha government's decision rejecting his application for premature release. Singh is serving a life sentence for his involvement in the 1999 killing of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons.

At a session conducted three weeks after the earlier hearing, a bench consisting of Justices Manoj Misra and Vijay Bishnoi was informed that the State Sentence Review Board had once again dismissed Singh's plea. The board's decision weighed heavily on the serious nature of the crime and potential societal implications.

The board's meeting, held on August 31, 2026, followed instructions from the Supreme Court on August 19 to issue a timely verdict on Singh’s release application. This denial marks Singh's sixth refusal since 2016, with the board citing fears of communal disarray among the reasons. Controversially, a local report from March 2025 suggesting conditional release was initially considered but didn't sway the final decision.