Dara Singh, killer Of Fr Arul Doss convicted second time

Ravinder Kumar Pal alias Dara Singh, who already serves a life sentence for the murder of an Australian missionary and his two sons, was convicted and given further jail term on Saturday for killing a Roman Catholic priest, the same year.

Father Arul Doss (35), a priest of south Indian descent, was killed on September 1, 1999 in Jamabani village in Mayurbhanj district of Orissa.

District and sessions judge Sachidananda Sahu, who awarded the life term to Dara Singh, Jadunath Mahanta, Rajkishore Mahanta and Chema Ho, acquitted 17 others. The court examined 26 prosecution witnesses.

Dara Singh, allegedly belonging to the Bajrang Dal was earlier sentenced to life for attacking and killing a missionary and his two sons.

The missionary, Graham Staines, was an Australian and had been working with leprosy sufferers in Orissa for a period of 34 years. Staines' sons, Philip and Timothy (aged 10 and 8 respectively) were sleeping in a jeep when they were burnt to death in January 22, 1999.

However, in 2003 the Orissa High Court set aside the death penalty and awarded him life imprisonment for lack of strong evidence.

Mrs Staines, the wife of Graham Staines, was given the Padma Shri Award in recognition of her work with leprosy patients in Orissa, where she stayed to continue helping and continuing her husbands work until July 2004.