Odisha rejects premature release of Dara Singh serving life for murder of Graham Staines, two sons

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Police bring out Dara Singh, the main defendant in the Graham Stewart Staines murder case, from the court in Bhubaneswar, India. File | Photo Credit: AP

The premature release of Rabindra Kumar Pal alias Dara Singh, serving a life sentence for the murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons, has hit a deadlock, with the State Sentence Review Board (SSRB) rejecting his release after the Supreme Court directed the Odisha government to take a clear stand on the matter.

Earlier, the Director General of Prisons and Correctional Service and Kendujhar Jail Authorities had recommended his release on grounds of good behaviour.

“The Kendujhar district authority on August 28, 2026 have reported that on August 15, 2026, a congregation comprising approximately 200-250 persons associated with Dara Sena assembled in front of the District Jail, Kendujhar in connection with the proposed release of the convict, during which provocative slogans were reportedly raised,” says the proceeding copy of SSRB’s August 31, 2026 meeting.

It says the report, however, lacked specific recommendations and was inconclusive. The SSRB was not in favour of his release on various grounds, including the societal ramification in apprehension of communal disturbance in the area.

“In view of all the above mentioned facts and circumstances, the Board is therefore not inclined to recommend his premature release at this stage,” SSRB says. As of August 28, 2026, Singh has already spent 26 years six months and 27 days in prison.

The heinous murder of Staines and his two sons had attracted wider condemnation with international community criticizing the religious bigotry.

The 67-year-old Singh, who belongs to Kodar village of Auriya district of Uttar Pradesh, was working as a Hindi Teacher in Janta High School, Mallipur, under Patna block of Kendujhar district prior to committing offence.

He, along with 12 co-accused persons, had killed Staines and his two minor sons, namely Philip (aged about 10 years) and Timoti (aged about 6 years), on January 22, 1999, at Manoharpur in Kendjhar district by burning them to death. The deceased were sleeping inside a van. They had accused Staines of converting people to Christianity.

Singh was sentenced to death under Section 302 IPC and also convicted under various section convicted by the Sessions Judge, Khurda at Bhubaneswar, on September 22, 2023. The decision was challenged in the Orissa High Court. The HC had acquitted 11 accused persons and commuted the death sentence of Singh to life imprisonment.

He and his co-convict Mahendra Hembram moved the Supreme Court, challenging the HC order. However, the Supreme Court had dismissed their plea. Mahendra Hembram was released prematurely on April 16, 2025, from Kendujhar District Jail.  Dara Singh was also involved in two more cases of murder, including Father Arul Doss and a garment shopkeeper, S.K. Rahaman. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the District and Session Judge, Baripada, Mayurbhanj.

His appeals in the later two cases were dismissed by the HC. Dara Singh’s premature release was considered and rejected by the SSRB in 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2022. In subsequent years, the case of premature release was placed before SSRB which had consistently rejected and deferred.

In 2024, Dara Singh had approached the Supreme Court of India for directions to the State Government to grant premature release in accordance with “Guidelines for Premature Release”.  Supreme Court in August had directed Odisha government to take a call on his premature release or it take a decision.

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