Odisha Board Rejects Dara Singh's Premature Release Plea

The Odisha State Sentence Review Board has rejected the premature release plea of Dara Singh, the convict serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons. The decision was made during a special board meeting on August 31, 2026, just weeks before a scheduled Supreme Court hearing on the matter. The board cited concerns over potential wider social consequences and risks to communal harmony as key factors in its rejection. A report from the Keonjhar district administration, considered during the meeting, noted that on August 15, approximately 200 to 250 people associated with Dara Sena gathered outside Keonjhar District Jail and raised provocative slogans. The board stated that the district administration's latest report lacked a specific recommendation and was inconclusive, yet it still recommended against Singh's release. This marks the latest in a series of rejections for Singh, who has been denied premature release multiple times previously, including in 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023. The Keonjhar district administration had recommended his conditional release in March 2025, but the board deferred the matter.