The Odisha State Sentence Review Board (OSSRB) has recommended the premature release of Dara Singh, the life convict in the 1999 murder of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two minor sons in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, citing his “good behaviour” in prison.
The recommendation was made during the Board’s meeting earlier this month, where it reviewed the cases of eligible life convicts for possible premature release. Singh was among those whose cases were considered.
An official said that with the OSSRB’s approval, Singh is likely to be released from prison, subject to completion of the required formalities.
Singh, the prime accused in the high-profile triple murder, has served more than 26 years in jail. He was sentenced to death by a CBI court in 2003 for the murder of Graham Staines and his sons, Philip (10) and Timothy (6). The Orissa High Court commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment in 2005, a decision later upheld by the Supreme Court in 2011.
In all, 14 people, including Singh, were convicted by the CBI court in the case. However, the Orissa High Court subsequently acquitted 11 of them, while upholding Singh’s conviction.
Staines and his two sons were burnt alive while sleeping inside their station wagon at Manoharpur village in Keonjhar district on the night of January 22, 1999. The gruesome killings triggered widespread outrage in India and drew international condemnation.
Director General of Police Y.B. Khurania had recommended Singh’s premature release to the Board after receiving reports from the Keonjhar district administration. Incidentally, Khurania had played a key role in Singh’s arrest while serving as Deputy Inspector General of Police in the aftermath of the killings.