Dara Singh gets 3rd life sentence

This time for allegedly killing a Muslim trader

BHUBANESWAR: The prime convict in the sensational Graham Staines murder case, Dara Singh, was on Monday sentenced to life imprisonment for brutally killing a Muslim garment trader Seikh Rehman on August 26, 1999 at a weekly market at Padiagada in Mayurbhanj district, about 320 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar.

Dara Singh is already serving a life term for burning to death Australian missionary Graham Staines and his sons outside a church at Manoharpur village in neighbouring Keonjhar district on Jan 22, 1999.

Last month, the same court sentenced Dara Singh and three others for murdering 35-year-old Catholic priest Father Arul Doss on Sep 1, 1999, at Jamubani, another village in the Baripada district.

The Court also asked him to pay a fine of Rs 5,000. “If Dara is not able to pay the sum, he will be jailed for another one year,” the Court observed in its judgment. Mayurbhanj district session judge Sachidananda Sahu convicted Dara for the murder of garment trader Sheikh Rehman.  Rehman was hacked to death by Dara and his supporters. Later, supporters of Dara set ablaze his  shop. However, 23 others were acquitted for the lack of evidence.

Dalei did not come to court as he was ill. Sharply reacting to the judgment, Singh said he would file an appeal in the upper court against his conviction. “I am totally innocent and not involved in this case. I will move to higher court,” he said to the media. He is presently languishing in Baripada circle jail in Mayurbhanj district, about 250 km from Bhuabaneswar.