The Supreme Court has granted the Odisha government until August 19 to decide on the remission plea of Dara Singh, a Bajrang Dal member serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons.The court adjourned the matter after the state’s sentence review board delayed providing records.

Singh, who was convicted in 2003 and had his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment in 2005, argued for remission citing his age (over 60) and 24 years in jail.

The court acknowledged his regret for actions taken in 1999, which were framed as 'protecting the nation,' but noted he had never received parole.In April 2025, another convict, Mahendra Hembram, was released on 'good behaviour' grounds.The case, which sparked global condemnation, remains a landmark in India’s legal history.The High Court acquitted 11 others in 2005, while Singh’s conviction was upheld in 2011.The delay in processing Singh’s plea highlights systemic challenges in judicial review processes.