Supreme Court Seeks Odisha Govt's Response on Dara Singh's Remission Plea

The Supreme Court has requested the Odisha government's response to the remission plea of Dara Singh, currently serving a life sentence for the murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons in 1999. Singh seeks a more liberal remission policy for his premature release after 24 years in prison.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday requested a response from the Odisha government regarding the remission plea of Ravindra Pal, also known as Dara Singh, who is serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two minor sons.

Singh is seeking a more lenient remission policy to facilitate his early release after having spent over 24 years in prison. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, highlighted the gravity of the offense while asking the state government to respond within two weeks.

The legal representative for Singh, Vishnu Shanker Jain, argued that a more liberal approach should be applied given Singh's lengthy incarceration. The case revolves around a mob led by Singh that attacked Staines and his sons, burning them alive in Keonjhar district's Manoharpur village. Singh's initial death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Orissa High Court in 2005 and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2011.