Communal hostility changed his life

At 30, the man who could be passed off as yet another villager, had kept the state police on its toes while spreading terror in the minority communities. This is the first time in Orissa that the police had to employ a mammoth force to chase an unarmed individual. But Dara, in the last 12 years, had become very strong due to the support from the Mahanta community.

Rabindra now Dara, a native of Kopara village in the communally sensitive Etawah district of UP, left home in the mid-80sfollowing differences with his father, a farmer.

In Delhi, he met Chittaranjan Das alias Dipu, a worker at a shoe factory who got him a job there. Months later, the two then went to live in Dipu8217;s native village Rudihapada in Keonjhar district and started working in a grocery shop owned by Dipu8217;s father. Rabindra then went to stay with an acquaintance, Rabindra Mahanta of Rudihapada, where he came in contact with the Mahanta community. There was growing unrest in the area then with the Mahantas protesting against cow slaughter by the Muslims. Rabindra made it an organised onslaught.

He earned himself the name Dara Singh. His popularity caused fear among the Muslims of Patna, Ghatagaon, Keonjhar Sadar, Thakurmunda, Mohuladiha and Katanjia who were scared of losing their livelihood from cattle trade but were too afraid to defy Dara. There were 10 cases registered against Dara in the past two years for his attacks on Muslims and attempts to torch trucks transporting cattle. On November 10, 1997, he wasarrested and released on bail. He had since then been underground.

Cops want remand for Dara

Baripada: The Crime Branch CB of the State police has reportedly decided to move the Orissa High Court to bring Dara Singh, the prime accused in the gruesome murder of Australian missionary Graham Stewart Staines and his two minor sons in January last year, on remand for interrogation.