Mumbai, January 22: In a setback to the CBI, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed its plea for death penalty to Dara Singh, the main accused in the killing of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons in Orissa’s Keonjhar district in January 1999.
“Though Graham Staines and his two minor sons were burnt to death while they were sleeping inside a station wagon at Manoharpur in Keonjhar district of Orissa, the intention was to teach a lesson to Staines about his religious activities, namely, converting poor tribals to Christianity. All these aspects have been correctly appreciated by the high court ( Orissa High Court) and modified the sentence of death into life imprisonment with which we concur,” said a bench comprising Justice P Sathasivam and Justice BS Chauhan.
The apex court also rejected two appeals of Dara Singh and Mahendra Hembram, who were given life term in the case, saying “there was no justification for interfering in someone’s belief by way of use of force, provocation, conversion, incitement or upon a flawed premise that one religion is better than the other”. It also upheld the legality of the high court order which acquitted 12 tribals who were accused in the case. “In the absence of definite assertion from the prosecution side, about their specific role and involvement, as rightly observed by the high court, it is not safe to convict them. We entirely agree with the reasoning and conclusion of the high court insofar as the order relating to acquittal of certain accused persons,” said Justice Sathasivam writing the judgement for the bench.
The bench also came down heavily on Christian missionaries for indulging in forceful conversions. The court observed that investigations revealed that Staines was involved in conversions and there are materials to suggest that the missionaries were indulging in forceful conversion in the area. “We hope Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of religion playing a positive development, integrating into a prosperous nation will be realised. There is no justification for interfering in someone’s belief through force, conversion or false premise that one religion is better than the other,” the bench said.
–Agencies–