CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has upheld a trial court’s conviction of Dara Singh alias Ravindra Kumar Pal and three others for the murder of Catholic priest Arul Das in 1999. Das had died after he was shot by an arrow and set on fire at Jamubani in Mayurbhanj district on September 1, 1999. The court of District Judge, Baripada had sentenced Dara Singh, Jadunath Mohanto, Chema Ho and Rajkishore Mohanto to life imprisonment in the murder case on September 23, 2007.
The trial court had found them guilty after examining 23 witnesses during trial which had begun on September 8, 2004. They challenged their conviction in the High Court the same year. While Chema Ho and Jadunath Mohanto were granted bail by the High Court, the Supreme Court had allowed the bail plea of Rajkishore Mohanto.
The two-judge bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Chittaranjan Dash affirmed the life imprisonment of Dara and the three others while disposing of the criminal appeal on Wednesday.
The bench directed, “The bail bonds of Chema Ho, Jadunath Mohanto who have been enlarged on bail during the pendency of the appeal are hereby cancelled.
They are directed to surrender forthwith and, in any event, not later than September 23, 2022, failing which, the IIC of the concerned PS will take steps to take them into custody forthwith for serving out the remainder of the sentences.”
Dara is serving life sentence for the killing of Australian christian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons outside a church at Manoharpur village in Keonjhar on January 22, 1999.