More than 25 years after her husband and two sons were burned alive by a Hindu nationalist mob in India, Gladys Staines is again speaking of forgiveness even as the Odisha state government is being pressured to release the primary convict in the case.
The Supreme Court of India has pressed the state government to rule on the remission plea for early release by Rabindra Kumar Pal, better known as Dara Singh, the primary convict in the killing of Graham Stuart Staines and his two sons, Philip, 10 and Timothy, 6, in rural Odisha state.
In a statement sent to Christian Daily International in response to queries about the upcoming hearing, Staines said she had heard reports of the proceedings concerning Singh’s possible release.
“Continuing to follow Jesus’ teaching and example, I continue to forgive,” she said, reiterating what she had first stated in 2003: “I have forgiven the killers and have no bitterness, because forgiveness brings healing and our land needs healing,” and “God in Christ has forgiven me and expects his followers to do the same.” In her statement to CDI, she added that she had “no comments regarding the law taking its own course” and did not plan to make any further statement, either now or after the hearing.
According to the Supreme Court’s official case status records for Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 301/2024, Rabindra Kumar Pal @ Dara Singh vs. State of Odisha & Anr., the matter was listed again on Sept. 2, as directed by the bench earlier. The Sept. 2 hearing was heard by a partially reconstituted bench, with Justice Manmohan sitting alongside Justice Manoj Misra in place of Justice Vijay Bishnoi.
Attorney Vishnu Shankar Jain appeared for Singh alongside his existing counsel, though the order itself records no reasoning beyond listing the matter