Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of Dara Singh, the prime accused in the murder of Catholic priest Arul Doss in the state’s Mayurbhanj district in 1999.
Three others – Jadunath Mahanta, Rajkishore Mahanta and Cheema Ho – who are out on bail, have also been directed by the HC to appear and surrender before a lower court by September 23.
Dara and the three others had been sentenced to life imprisonment by Mayurbhanj District and Sessions court in 2007 for killing the catholic priest a few years back.
According to the prosecution, Dara whose real name is Rabindra Kumar Pal, along with 20 others had raided the Catholic Church at Jamabani village under Mahuldiha police limits of Mayurbhanj district on the night of September 1, 1999 and set it ablaze. Father Arul Doss died after being chased and attacked with bows and arrows.
The Mayurbhanj court’s order came when Dara was already serving life sentence for burning alive Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons in Keonjhar district in January, 1999.
Police had framed charges against four of the accused in Aurol Doss case and the trial had started in 2004.
While the district court had acquitted 17 accused for lack of evidence, Dara and three others were awarded life sentence after examining 23 witnesses. Following the court verdict, Dara’s lawyer had stated that they would appeal against the judgement in the Orissa High Court.
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