Bhubaneshwar: Dara Singh, convicted in the Staines murder case, was on September 22 awarded death penalty by a special judge, who also awarded life sentence for 12 others convicted in the case.

All the convicts were tried under Section 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 148 (rioting with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly in prosecution of a common object), 435 and 436 (committing mischief by fire or explosive substance) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Dara Singh was separately tried under section 302 by the district and sessions judge, Khurda, M N Patnaik, who said the death sentence was subject to confirmation by the high court.

The judge sentenced all of them to life imprisonment under Section 120 (B), gave them three years rigorous imprisonment under Section 148, seven years rigorous imprisonment under Section 435 read with Section 149.

They were also sentenced to life imprisonment under Section 436 read with Section 149.

Life sentence was also awarded to all of them, including Dara Singh, under Section 302.

The death sentence was given to Dara Singh who was tried separately under Section 302.

Besides Dara, those convicted and sentenced were Rajat Kumar Das alias Dipu Das, Mahendra Hembram, Renta Hembram, Ojen Hansda, Kartik Lohar, Rabi Soren, Dayanidhi Patra, Mahadev Mahanta, Harish Mahanta, Thuram Ho, Surath Nayak and Umakanta Bhoi.

The September 22 sentence brings to an end the trial in the sensational murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons in January 2001.

Last week, the judge while finding them guilty had acquitted Aniruddha Dandapat alias Andha Nayak for lack of sufficient evidence against him.

Staines, working in Orissa since 1965, and his two minor sons Philip (11) and Timothy (7), were burnt to death while asleep in their station wagon outside a church at Manoharpur village in Keonjhar district on the night of January 22, 2001.

The incident sent shockwaves all over the country and outside. Christians held protest rallies in Bhubaneswar and other places to condemn the killings.

PTI