The eastern Indian state of Odisha has refused to release Rabindra Kumar Pal, better known as Dara Singh, who is serving a life sentence for burning to death Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons at Manoharpur village in 1999. The Supreme Court, India’s top court, was told of the decision on Sept. 17 and allowed Singh to challenge it.
Christian organizations have responded, one of them welcoming the decision, while a senior journalist questioned the state’s stated reasoning. The State Sentence Review Board, the official panel that reviews the cases of life convicts and recommends whether they may leave prison early, rejected Singh’s plea for remission, the government’s reduction of a prison term, at a special meeting on Aug. 31.
The board considered a report from the Kendujhar (Keonjhar) district administration, dated Aug. 28. The report said a crowd of 200 to 250 people linked to a group called Dara Sena had gathered outside the district jail on Aug. 15, India’s Independence Day, over his proposed release, and that “provocative slogans” were reportedly raised. The board called the report inconclusive, saying it lacked specific recommendations.
It cited possible societal fallout, including the risk of communal disturbance, meaning violence between religious communities. The board also weighed Singh’s convictions in three murder cases. “In view of all the above mentioned facts and circumstances, the Board is therefore not inclined to recommend his premature release at this stage,” the proceedings say. Singh has reportedly served over 26 years in prison, and prison authorities had earlier recommended release for good behavior.
Authorities in Auraiya, Singh’s home district in Uttar Pradesh, had backed the recommendation in February 2026. The United Christian Forum (UCF), a New Delhi-based group that runs a helpline guiding people to legal remedies, welcomed the decision in a press