Staines murder case: Dara files plea in SC

Dara Singh, sentenced to life for the murder of Australian Missionary Graham Staines and his two children, today moved the Supreme Court cha...

Dara Singh, sentenced to life for the murder of Australian Missionary Graham Staines and his two children, today moved the Supreme Court challenging his conviction by the Orissa High Court.

He contended that his conviction was upheld merely on the basis of presumption of his presence at the scene of crime on January 22, 1999 as the mob was shouting slogans in his name. This was ‘‘contrary to the principles of criminal justice and devoid of law,’’ Dara claimed.

The trial court had convicted Dara for the offence and sentenced him to death. But on May 19, the High Court reduced the sentence to life imprisonment and also acquitted 11 other accused, who were convicted by the trial court.

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The lower court had convicted 13 accused, including Dara, in connection with the murder of Staines and his two minor children Philip and Timothy.

But the High Court held that there was no evidence on record that they had died due to individual act of Dara. It said no fatal injury to any of the deceased had been attributed to Dara and that he could not be held personally liable for the crime.

Staines and his kids were charred to death when a mob set ablaze the wagon in which they were sleeping on the night of January 22, 1999 at Manoharpur in Keonjhar district.

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