Bhubaneswar: In a sensational twist to the Graham Staines murder case, one accused on April 9 confessed to have witnessed the burning down of the vehicle in which the Australian missionary and his two minor sons were asleep at Manoharpur in Orissa.

Daya Patra, 31, told Khurda sessions judge M N Patnaik that he had seen prime accused Dara Singh setting the vehicle on fire as a mob of about 40 persons watched.

Dara first struck a match to light his "bidi" and then put bundles of straw kept on the roof of the vehicle on fire. Thereafter, he shoved into the vehicle some of the burning straw, he narrated before the court, which recorded his statement.

When the court asked him if he had anything to say, Daya said on the evening of January 22, 1999, he was invited by Surath Nayak, another accused in the case, to accompany him to a "nagin" dance being held at Manoharpur.

But he instead took him to a wheat field where Dara, along with about 30 to 40 persons, was having discussion to attack the Christian missionaries visiting Manoharpur. They were given flattened rice and sugar to eat.

Daya said he heard someone ask as to what would happen when they would be caught by the police. Dara assured him that the government would fall and a new government would take over. They would have no problem, he said.

He said that as he was afraid, he left the place and headed to see the "nagin" dance. As the route passed through a forest, he carried bow and arrows and a sword.

PTI