OM Bureau
Bhubaneswar:
Orissa High Court saved on May 19 morning Rabindra Kumar Pal alias Dara Singh from the gallows and redrafted him for life imprisonment. The Judgement Reoprt under scan in the High Court was carrying the original sentence as, Convict Dare Singh is the prima Donna of the offence. Like knight errant of crime he formed a militant group of local tribals to physically liquidate Staines on the belief that with Staines the spread of Christianity will be buried in the area. Rest of the convicts who are gullible tribals, blindly followed him.
The factual scenario shows how gruesome and macabre the crime was. Even after drawing a balance sheet of aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the case falls within the rarest of rare cases. Convict Dara Singh as the ambassador of death deserves death whereas rest convicts being gullible Adibasis deserve justice tempered with mercy.
Considering the various rulings of the Supreme Court and the facts and circumstances of the case in which the crime was committed and part played by the convicts, I sentence each of the convict to imprisonment for life under Section 120-B I.P.C., imprisonment for three years under Sec.148 I.P.C., imprisonment for seven year under Sec.435 read with S.149 I.P.C., imprisonment for life U/S.436 read with s.149 I.P.C. and imprisonment for life under sec.302 read with S.149 I.P.C . Sentences shall run concurrently.
I sentence convict Rabindra Kumar Pal alias Dara Singh to death u/s.302 I.P.C ,for which he was separately charged and direct he be hanged by the neck till he is dead. The death sentence shall not be executed unless it is confirmed by the Honble high court of Orissa.
But the High Court of Orissa today disagreed with this judgment and converted the death sentence to life imprisonment and set free 11 of the co-accused persons. The details of the High Court Ruling shall be posted in our next edition.