Staff Reporter, July 16, muthokotha.in: January 2, 1999. Manoharapur in Odisha’s Keonjhar district. A bitterly cold night. Australian Christian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons, Philip (10) and Timothy (6), were burnt alive inside a station wagon while they slept.
The prime accused in that barbaric murder was Dara Singh, alias Rabinder Pal Singh. After serving nearly 27 years in prison, speculation has arisen that he might be released on Independence Day due to “good conduct.”
Graham Staines worked with leprosy patients. He had been serving in tribal-dominated areas for 15 years. On the day of the incident, he and his two sons were sleeping in their car after attending a church function. It is alleged that a group of miscreants led by Dara Singh—who was associated with the Bajrang Dal—poured petrol on the vehicle and set it ablaze. The car doors had been locked from the outside.
The incident shocked the entire world at the time, sparking widespread condemnation across the globe.
In 2003, a special CBI court convicted Dara Singh of murdering Graham and his two young sons. He was sentenced to two life terms. A total of 13 individuals were convicted in the case. The Supreme Court upheld Dara Singh’s sentence in 2005.
Since then, Dara Singh has been incarcerated in Odisha’s Keonjhar Jail.
Sources indicate that Dara Singh has maintained “good conduct” while in prison. In accordance with the Odisha government’s policy on the premature release of prisoners, the names of several inmates are being considered for release on Independence Day (August 15), and Dara Singh’s name has appeared on that list.
Speaking on the matter, a senior official of the Odisha government stated, “The file is still under process; the government will take the final decision.”
However, Graham Staines’ wife, Gladys Staines, had offered a message of forgiveness long ago. In her message, she had said, “We have forgiven the killers.” Yet, the brutality of that incident still shakes people to the core; even today, it strikes the conscience like the blow of a hammer.
The news that the man accused of burning a Christian missionary and his two young children alive is set to be released after 27 years has reopened old wounds. Human rights organizations and sections of the Christian community have vehemently opposed this move.
All eyes are now fixed on the final decision to be taken by the Odisha government.
Will August 15th truly become “Independence Day” for the notorious Dara Singh? Only time will tell—and that moment is fast approaching.
