It was on January 22, 1999, Australian missionary Graham Stains and his two sons were charred to death, as they slept in a van in Manoharpur village, Keonjhar district of Orissa (now Odhisa) and 200 km from the capital Bhubaneswar. Graham Stains was running the Mayurbhang Leprosy Home, which he joined in 1965. After his tragic murder a 15-bed Graham Stains Memorial Hospital was setup in 2005.
Accused Dara Singh, serving a life sentence for the murders, has spent 24 years in prison. He was alleged to be from the Bajrang Dal, which reportedly he denied. The Hindu, reported on September 23, 20203, Gladys Stains, wife of Graham Stains issued a statement saying that she had forgiven the killers of her husband and had no bitterness towards them.
Dara Singh is now trying to get a remission, with India’s Supreme Court asking the Odhisa government’s view on his plea in six months. This has created controversy and suspicion that Dara Singh could be free from jail soon. India’s state governments can enact remission policies allowing convicted persons to be released early from prison. She continued to work a few more years with leprosy patients where her husband worked. And , in 2014 returned to Australia. In 2005, she was awarded the fourth highest civilian honour of India, the Padma Shree, in recognition for her work in Odisha.
ANI reports: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (9 July, 2024) sought the response from the Odisha Government on Dara Singh, convicted and sentenced to life jail term in the 1999 Australian missionary death case, for premature release. A bench of justices Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti issued notice to Odisha Government on Dara Singh plea seeking premature release.”
What has now changed is that, there is a new BJP government in the state, which ousted the long running Navin Pataniak-led BJD government. The new Chief Minister(CM), Mohan Charan Majhi is MLA from Keonjhar, has not commented since he became the new CM.
Australia’s High Commissioner in New Delhi, Philip Green on X (Twitter) (January 23, 2024) said, ” This week marks the 25th anniversary of the deaths of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his sons in east India in 1999. We remember Graham’s selfless work with leprosy patients there.”
Official comments from the Odhisa, the Indian government and the Australian government are awaited.
