On Monday (6th January), the Supreme Court of India directed the CBI and Odisha government to respond to Dara Singh’s remission plea within four weeks.
The matter was heard by a 2-Judge Bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Justice S.V.N. Bhatti. Dara Singh had sought an early release and a more liberal remission policy.
For the unversed, Singh was convicted of murdering 3 people – Christian Missionary Graham Staines and his two sons. It has been 24 years and 11 months since his arrest in 2000. Singh has been in jail without parole or furlough.
The Supreme Court has asked the Odisha government to furnish details of the 5 committees, which were examining the issue of early release of Dara Singh.
He moved the Supreme Court in July 2022, stating that the principle of informative justice also applied to him. Singh had cited the case of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassin A.G. Perarivalan and his premature release.
He argued that his prolonged incarceration qualified him for an early release and that the failure of State authorities to address his grievances violated his right under Article 21 of the Constitution.
