Over 25 Years in Jail : SC Seeks Final Decision on Dara Singh’s Remission Plea

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court has expressed strong displeasure over the delay by the Odisha government in deciding the remission plea of Dara Singh, who has been serving a life sentence for the 1999 killing of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons. The court has now given the Odisha Prisoners’ Release Review Board a final opportunity to take a decision on his release, making it clear that if the matter is not decided before the next hearing on September 2, the Supreme Court itself may consider taking a decision. The development came after the Odisha government informed the court that no final decision had yet been taken despite an earlier direction to complete the process. When the government sought more time, the bench questioned why the decision had still not been made and expressed dissatisfaction over the continued delay.

SC Questions Delay, Seeks Concrete Decision

During the hearing, the bench also questioned the submission of a letter from the Directorate General of Prisons, asking why such a communication had been placed before the court when the decision was required to come from the designated Review Board. The court made it clear that procedural delays could not continue indefinitely and stressed the need for a decision within the stipulated timeframe. Authorities had reportedly sought additional information about Dara Singh’s background and conduct from Uttar Pradesh, as he is originally from the state. However, the Supreme Court indicated that such pending formalities could not become an open-ended reason for delaying the decision.

25 Years Behind Bars: Remission Plea at the Centre of Legal Battle

Dara Singh has spent more than 25 years in prison, and his plea is being considered in the context of Odisha’s remission policy. Under the applicable policy cited in the case, prisoners whose death sentences have been commuted to life imprisonment may become eligible for consideration of remission after completing 25 years in custody, subject to the applicable legal and administrative process. The Supreme Court’s latest direction therefore puts the Odisha Review Board under considerable pressure to finally decide whether his remission plea should be accepted or rejected.

From Death Sentence to Life Imprisonment

The case dates back to the horrific killing of Graham Staines and his two sons in 1999. Dara Singh was sentenced to death by a lower court in 2003. In 2005, the Odisha High Court commuted the death penalty to life imprisonment, and in 2011, the Supreme Court upheld the life sentence. After more than two decades behind bars, the question of whether Dara Singh should now be considered for release has become the subject of renewed judicial scrutiny.

September 2 Hearing Could Be Crucial

The Supreme Court’s latest order has effectively placed a deadline before the Odisha authorities. The Review Board must take a decision by the next hearing, failing which the court has indicated that it may step in and decide the matter itself. The September 2 hearing could therefore prove significant in determining the next stage of Dara Singh’s long-pending remission plea.

The Supreme Court’s message is clear, the remission process cannot remain pending indefinitely, and Odisha must now take a decision.