In the year 1999, Australian pastor Graham Staines and his two sons were killed by a mob in Manoharpur, Odisha, on suspicion of converting locals to Christianity. Dara Singh’s name made the news in this case. Dara Singh was arrested as the main accused in 2000 by Odisha’s then-Congress government. Dara Singh has not been granted even a single day of parole since then.
Dara Singh’s arrest took place 24 years ago. Dara Singh’s family has undergone significant changes during the last 24 years. Despite efforts by his family to apply for a few days of parole on important occasions of grief or joy, Dara Singh was denied parole. OpIndia has spoken with Dara Singh’s family and acquired information about the case from the beginning to the present status.
How Ravindra Pal became Dara Singh
Notably, Dara Singh’s real name is Ravindra Kumar Pal. Speaking to OpIndia, Ravindra Pal’s brother, Arvind Pal, said that his family are devout Hindus. Ravindra’s father used to start his day with pooja-paath [worship]. Following the completion of his intermediate schooling, Ravindra Pal began working in Noida due to help his family financially.
Ravindra Kumar Pal was always punctual with his work. The company’s staff and management began referring to Ravindra Kumar Pal as Dara Singh after noticing his hard work and dedication towards his work. During those days, a wrestler named Dara Singh was well-known both nationally and internationally. This is how Ravindra Pal earned the moniker, Dara Singh.
Dara Singh shifted from Noida to Odisha
Arvind Kumar Pal also told us that while working in Noida, he met a friend from Odisha. Dara Singh and that person were such good friends that they started visiting each other’s homes often. Dara Singh developed a fondness for Odisha, and after a few days, he left his work in Noida with a friend and moved to Odisha.
Dara Singh took up a private job teaching children in the Keonjhar district. He taught the Hindi language and values of Hindu Dharma to the children. It is worth noting that Ravindra Kumar Pal, alias Dara Singh, is originally from Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh. However, he had made Odisha his karmabhoomi.
How Dara Singh joined Bajrang Dal
Dara Singh’s family members said that the Dharmic discussions he led at school spread to neighbouring villages. Following this, several parents started discussing with Dara Singh about Hindu Dharma. He eventually became popular in the districts of Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj.
After school, he began visiting tribal areas and educating people about Hinduism. Dara Singh soon learnt the Odia language as well. Because of his popularity, members of Hindu organisations approached him, and Dara Singh eventually joined the Bajrang Dal.
‘Christian missionaries were actively converting locals in Odisha‘
Arvind Kumar Pal went on to tell OpIndia that when Dara Singh became Bajrang Dal office bearer, Christian conversions in Odisha were on a dramatic rise. He said that entire villages were being converted to Christianity. Graham Staines, a Pastor from Australia was claimed to be the mastermind of this conversion nexus.
It is reported that around 25 years ago, Graham Staines spent a lot of money on enticing people. He used to travel in a vehicle similar to those used by MPs and MLAs at the time. As per Arvind, his brother began warning locals about religious conversion. Consequently, he became the target of numerous conspiracies.
‘When Dara Singh was not found, police detained his brother‘
According to Arvind Kumar Pal, after the murder of Graham Staines in 1999, when the Odisha Police and CBI team could not apprehend Dara Singh, the authorities caught him. Then, local press reported that Dara Singh’s brother had been arrested.
Arvind Kumar says that the police and CBI treated his family very badly at that time. The CBI agents also harassed his mother, father, and sisters. Arvind claims that they were held in detention for a long period without being charged with a crime and paraded around Odisha forests.
‘Dara Singh’s surrender was misrepresented as arrest‘
Dara Singh’s brother claimed that after receiving false information about his detention, Dara Singh surrendered at an Odisha police station. It is claimed that the government placed a bounty of lakhs of rupees on Dara Singh, and in order to obtain it, the concerned Odisha police station misrepresented Dara Singh’s surrender as his arrest.
Concerning the police station where Dara Singh surrendered, his family members claim that its officers led him to the bush and then attempted to make the surrender appear to be an arrest. However, the conspiracy was eventually uncovered and it is said that no one has received the reward money as of yet.
‘Dara Singh was denied parole even on mother and father’s death‘
Arvind Kumar Pal claims that the CBI and Odisha police tortured his brother Dara Singh severely. Dara Singh’s family protested, but no one heard them. It is argued that at the time, no political leader, media, or court took a favourable position on any petition presented in support of Dara Singh.
According to Arvind Kumar Pal, Dara Singh was swapped between Keonjhar, Cuttack, and another jail. Moreover, a separate FIR was filed in Cuttack jail regarding a dispute naming Dara Singh. In the last 24 years, his father, mother, and sister have all died prematurely. Everyone was always concerned about Dara Singh.
They all hoped to meet Dara Singh once before he died. However, their wish could never be fulfilled. After the death of his father, and his sister, Dara Singh applied for parole but his application was always rejected. At some point or the other, Singh’s plea was obstructed.
‘Dara Singh’s nephew Golu says he will get married in the presence of his uncle‘
Dara Singh’s niece got married last year. Despite his best efforts, Dara Singh was not permitted to attend this wedding. Dara Singh’s 24-year-old nephew and another 22-year-old niece are set to marry soon. Both of them want their weddings to take place in the presence of their uncle Dara Singh.
Dara Singh’s niece aspires to become a police officer, while nephew Golu is doing a private job in a local company due to the family’s financial challenges. Golu insists that irrespective of how long he has to wait, he will marry only in the presence of his “bade pitaji”, Dara Singh.
‘Ashes of parents buried in the soil, immersed in Ganga after 20 years of wait’
Dara Singh, alias Ravindra Kumar Pal, was unable to meet his father and mother before their deaths. The ashes of his parents were kept in a pot and buried in the fields for a long period. Dara Singh’s parents’ dying desire was that after being released from jail, he pour their ashes in the Ganga. This wish remained unfulfilled.
After nearly 20 years, Dara Singh’s brother finally immersed his parents’ ashes in the Ganga, as per custom. Arvind Kumar Pal explained that he needed to get his oldest daughter married, and according to Hindu religious norms, ashes buried in family property, instead of being immersed in the Ganga as per Hindu customs, are considered inauspicious for sacred rituals to take place in the home.
‘Only a few people helped’: Dara Singh’s brother thanks OpIndia
Arvind Kumar Pal thanked OpIndia for sharing his grief with the rest of the world. He expressed his emotions, saying that very few people have supported his family in the last 24 years. He and his family have faced various forms of persecution over the last two decades.
According to Arvind Kumar, his family is hopeful that Dara Singh will spend his final days with his family and at home after serving more than two decades in a prison sentence. Presently, the Supreme Court is slated to hear Dara Singh’s plea for parole in August this year.
