Thursday, June 23 2005 17:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhubaneswar: Rattled by the Orissa High Court's verdict commuting the death sentence of Dara Singh, awarded by the trial court, in the Graham Stains murder case, a prominent Christian body - Global Council of Indian Christians today (Jun 23, 2005) said that it would move the Supreme Court.

''It was for the CBI, the investigating agency in the case, to approach the apex court in the matter, but if it doesn't, the GCIC will do so,'' the Bangalore-based organisation's national convenor, Sajan K George, said at a news conference in Bhubaneshwar.

The High Court had recently quashed the verdict of the lower court, which had sentenced Dara Singh, the prime accused in the case, to death while awarding life imprisonment to 11 others.

The court, however, had upheld the life imprisonment awarded by the trial court in the same case to Dara and another convict while acquitting 11 others.

George also pointed out that the Wadhwa commission of inquiry, which was set up by the then NDA (National Democratic Alliance) Government in the wake of the Manoharpur carnage, had said in its report that the act of murdering Staines and his two children was inspired by Dara Singh.