The Hindu : Staines case: judgment on Sept. 8

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 21, 2003

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Staines case: judgment on Sept. 8

By Our Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR AUG. 20. A Designated CBI court today fixed September 8 for pronouncing the judgment in the case relating to the killing of the Australian missionary, Graham Stuart Staines, and his two young sons.

The Judge, Mahendranath Patnaik, fixed the date after counsel for the CBI and the defence counsel filed their written submissions in the court.

The formal trial in the case concluded on August 18.

The trial had commenced on March 1, 2001.

A total of 55 prosecution witnesses were examined, followed by 25 defence witnesses.

The missionary and his sons, Phillip and Timothy, were burnt to death on the night of January 22, 1999, when they were sleeping inside a vehicle at Manoharpur village in Orissa's Keonjhar district.

The case was first registered by the local police and later taken over by the Crime Branch of the State police.

The investigation of the case was subsequently handed over to the CBI.

The CBI had charge sheeted the prime accused, Dara Singh alias Rabindra Pal Singh, and 17 others submitting that there was enough evidence on record to show the involvement of the accused persons in the case.

However, 14 accused, including Dara Singh, were facing trial in the Designated Court.

While three accused are still absconding, another accused who was tried by a separate court for being a minor, has been sentenced to seven years of imprisonment.

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