Bhubaneswar: Even as supporters of Dara
Singh welcomed on Friday`s Supreme Court verdict on the
sensational triple murder case involving Australian
Missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons, Chenchu,
also an accused, has expressed dissatisfaction over the
judgement.
Sudarshan Hansda alias Chenchu, the lone juvenile
(then 13 years old) accused in the Staines murder case said:
"While 11 other accused were acquitted in the case due to lack
of evidence, how come the apex court held two (Dara and
Mahendra) guilty".
Claiming that none of them were involved in the murder
case, he said there is no "strong evidence" against the duo.
"Even the CBI and witnesses had failed to gather solid
evidence against Dara Singh and Mahendra Hembram," he said.
"We had approached the Supreme Court with hope that
Dara and Mahendra would also be acquitted. We are sorry over
today`s verdict," he told reporters.
Chenchu was 13 when arrested in connection with the
Staines murder case. A year later he was convicted by a
juvenile court.
Besides Chenchu, there were 13 other accused,
including Dara Singh, who were convicted by the Khurda
District and Sessions Court in September 2003.
While Singh was awarded death sentence, the other 12
were given life sentences. In May 2005, the Orissa High Court,
however, commuted the death penalty awarded to Singh to life
imprisonment.
The court also acquitted 11 others who were sentenced
to life imprisonment by the Khurda District and Sessions
court.
But Chenchu was kept in a juvenile home at Angul till
the session judge court in Bhubaneswar acquitted him.
Meanwhile, Dara Sena, an outfit working on the
ideology of Singh, also did not accept the verdict.
"How can SC punish Dara Singh without solid evidence
against him," asked Dara Sena chief Mukesh Jain.
PTI
