Dara Singh, convicted for the murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons in 1999, is likely to be released soon after the Odisha State Sentence Review Board recommended his early release on grounds of good behaviour. Singh has spent over 26 years in various jails and is currently lodged in Keonjhar district jail. The recommendation follows a proposal from Keonjhar district authorities and approval from the Director General of Police (Prison).
According to The Hindu, the State Sentence Review Board met in the first week of July 2026 to consider the cases of eligible life convicts for premature release. Dara Singh’s case, previously deferred for a fresh report from authorities in Auraiya district, Uttar Pradesh, was among those reviewed. The Board had earlier deferred his case due to the need for an updated report from the Auraiya Superintendent of Police.
In the previous meeting of the Board in September 2025, 107 cases were considered, with 18 recommended for release, 75 rejected, and 14 deferred. Coverage revealed that Dara Singh’s case was among the deferred ones, which were reconsidered in the July 2026 meeting. Upon government approval in November 2025, all 18 previously recommended life convicts were released.
The murder of Graham Staines and his sons Philip and Timothy occurred on 22 January 1999 in Manoharpur, Keonjhar district, when a mob led by Dara Singh set fire to the van in which they were sleeping. The incident led to the arrest of 51 individuals, with 14, including Singh, convicted by a designated CBI court. The Orissa High Court later acquitted 11 of them. Singh’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, and if released, no one convicted in the case will remain in prison.
“On receipt of approval from the government during November 2025, all 18 life convicts have been released from jails. All 14 deferred cases were placed before the board for consideration of their premature release. Dara Singh’s case was one of them,” an official of Odisha’s Directorate of Prison and Correctional Services stated.
Mid-sentence review procedures require updated reports from the convict’s home district. Analysis showed that the Board deferred Singh’s case until a new report from Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh, was obtained, as the last available report was from 2022.
During the 2022 campaign for Singh’s release, Suresh Chavhanke, editor-in-chief of Sudarshan TV, attempted to meet Singh in jail but was denied permission. At that time, Mohan Charan Majhi, then MLA from Keonjhar and now Chief Minister, joined the protest outside the jail. Reporting indicated that the protest called for Singh’s release, but the Board’s decision was based on procedural review and reports from relevant authorities.
The judicial commission of inquiry, led by Supreme Court Justice D. P. Wadhwa, found no evidence of forced conversions by Staines and stated that Bajrang Dal was not involved in the planning or execution of the crime. The commission noted that Staines was running a shelter for people affected by leprosy. Further details confirmed that Dara Singh and some members of the mob were associated with the Sangh Parivar.
“The committee also noted that there was no evidence of Staines involved in forced conversions, and he was running a shelter for people affected by leprosy,” the inquiry report stated.
Sentences in the case ranged from 14 years to capital punishment, but Singh’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. As details emerged, Chenchu Hansdah, a juvenile at the time, was released in 2008 following an appeal. The Board’s recommendation for Singh’s release is now pending final government approval.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.