Bhubaneswar, Aug 19: The Supreme Court has expressed displeasure over the Odisha government’s delay in taking a decision on the remission plea of Ravindra Pal alias Dara Singh, who is serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two minor sons.

Singh has sought release from prison, citing his prolonged incarceration of nearly 26 years. The matter came up before the Supreme Court, which noted that the hearing had been adjourned several times to provide the State Sentence Review Board an opportunity to consider his plea.

The bench observed that when the matter was last adjourned on July 14, the State Sentence Review Board was in the process of taking a decision on the remission plea.

However, during the latest hearing, the counsel appearing for the Odisha government produced a letter from the Directorate of Prisons and Correctional Services. The letter reportedly stated that a required report from Keonjhar District Jail was still awaited.

Taking note of the delay, the Supreme Court granted the Sentence Review Board a final opportunity to take a decision on Singh’s plea and directed it to apprise the court of its decision.

The bench adjourned the matter to September 2, making it clear that the authorities should use the intervening period to complete the process and take an appropriate decision.

Singh has remained incarcerated for more than 26 years in connection with the high-profile 1999 killings, which drew widespread national and international attention.

Powered by Froala Editor