Bhubaneswar: The trial in the sensational Graham Stuart Staines triple murder case in the court of district and sessions judge, Khurda, came to an end on August 18 with the prosecution debunking the defence argument that there were flaws in the investigation.

The court asked both the prosecution and defence to submit their written arguments on August 20 when the date of judgement would be announced.

The Australian missionary, who was mainly working among leprosy-afflicted people in Mayurbhanj district, and his two minor sons Timothy and Philip were burnt to death when the station wagon in which they were sleeping was set ablaze by a crowd of people in Manoharpur village of Keonjhar district on the night of January 22, 1999 creating a countrywide sensation.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case from the state Crime Branch and chargesheeted 18 persons of whom 15 including Dara Singh alias Rabindra Kumar Pal, the prime accused in the case, and a minor boy, Chenchu Hansda, were arrested. Chenchu was convicted by a juvenile court but three other accused persons were still absconding.

Dara, who had also been at large after the incident, was nabbed by the police on January 31, 2000 from a forest.

The trial commenced on March 1, 2001.

The court had recorded the statements of about 80 witnesses during the trial, 55 of them presented by the prosecution, after which the arguments were held. Eighty exhibits had been placed before the court.

PTI