The Odisha State Sentence Review Board (SSRB) has once again rejected the premature release plea of Dara Singh, convicted in the 1999 Graham Staines murder case, citing concerns over social harmony and inconclusive district reports.
According to the official minutes, the Board noted that Singh’s case had been rejected multiple times earlier — on 24 November 2016, 24 June 2019, 24 December 2020, 12 January 2022, and 20 February 2023 — on grounds including the potential for communal disturbance in the region.
The Kendujhar district authorities, in March 2025, had issued a conditional recommendation suggesting release under specific terms to maintain social harmony. However, a subsequent report dated 28 August 2026 mentioned a congregation of 200–250 persons associated with the Dara Sena outside the district jail, where provocative slogans were raised. The report, the Board observed, lacked clear recommendations and was deemed inconclusive.
“In view of all the above‑mentioned facts and circumstances, the Board is therefore not inclined to recommend his premature release at this stage,” the official document stated.
