New Delhi: Dara Singh, sentenced to death in the Graham Staines murder case, has petitioned the Centre and the Orissa government to enable him to perform the last rites of his father at his native village in Uttar Pradesh and at Haridwar in Uttaranchal.

The petition, addressed to Union Home Minister L K Advani, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the Orissa Governor, sought Dara Singh's release under police escort to perform 'Shradh' (at Kakore in Etawah) and Asthi Visharjan' (soul salvation) at Haridwar.

"Dara is the eldest son of his father, who was killed in a road accident on October 1, 2003. According to Hindu traditions, if the eldest son does not perform the last rites, the father's soul can never rest in peace," Dara's counsel C S Rathour told reporters in New Delhi.

"This is a fundamental right of Dara. By not allowing him to perform the rites, the Orissa government has violated his basic human right. If the authorities don't reply to our petition immediately, we will move the High Court or Supreme Court against them," Rathour said.

PTI