Dara Singh’s remission in Staines case rejected

The Odisha government has denied Dara Singh's request for remission in connection with the 1999 murder of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two young sons. Singh, serving a life sentence, had approached the Supreme Court in 2024, claiming he had spent over 25 years in jail and had "repented" for his actions. The bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Vijay Bishnoi gave Singh two weeks to amend his petition, following the state's ruling.

The case stems from a mob attack on Staines and his sons in Odisha's Keonjhar district in January 1999, resulting in their deaths. Singh was convicted in 2003 and given a life sentence, which was commuted to life imprisonment by the Orissa High Court in 2005. The Supreme Court will now review Singh's revised petition contesting the state's decision.