Staines Murder Convict Appeals to President for Pardon of Dara Singh

Bhubaneswar, July 24, 2025 : Mahendra Hembram, a convict in the 1999 Graham Staines murder case who was recently released from prison, has submitted a mercy petition to the President of India. He is seeking the release of fellow convict Rabindra Kumar Pal, also known as Dara Singh, the prime accused in the brutal killing of the Australian missionary and his two young sons.

In a letter reportedly sent to Rashtrapati Bhavan, Hembram urged the President to consider granting a pardon to Dara Singh, who has served over 25 years in prison. He cited "significant transformation" in Singh’s behaviour, communication, and conduct during his time behind bars.

Dara Singh was convicted of leading a mob that set fire to a vehicle in which Graham Staines and his sons—Philip (10) and Timothy (7)—were sleeping in Manoharpur village under Anandpur block in Odisha's Keonjhar district on the night of 21 January 1999. The horrific attack drew international condemnation and remains one of the darkest chapters in the state’s recent history.

Hembram, a resident of Manoharpur, was arrested in 1999 and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was released from Keonjhar jail on 16 April 2024 after serving his term. Of the 13 persons convicted by a CBI court in 2003, 11 were later acquitted by the Orissa High Court, which upheld only the sentence for Hembram and Dara Singh. Originally sentenced to death by the CBI court, Dara Singh’s punishment was commuted to life imprisonment by the High Court in 2005.

Hembram’s petition, which has stirred considerable discussion in Keonjhar and beyond, is making rounds on political and social platforms. While some see it as a humanitarian appeal, others question the moral and legal implications of advocating for clemency in one of India’s most infamous communal crimes.

Although no official response has been issued by the President’s Secretariat regarding Hembram’s appeal, the move has reignited the public memory of a case that once shocked the conscience of the nation and influenced India’s legal stance on communal violence.

Staines Murder Convict Appeals to President for Pardon of Dara Singh

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