The Supreme Court on August 19, 2026 expressed strong displeasure over the continued delay by the Odisha State Sentence Review Board in deciding the remission plea of Rabindra Kumar Pal, alias Dara Singh, who is serving a life sentence in the 1999 Graham Staines murder case. The Bench gave the Board another opportunity to take a decision and make its stand clear before the Court.
Background of the Case
The matter concerns Dara Singh's plea seeking remission, or reduction of his remaining sentence, after spending more than 26 years in prison. He was sentenced to death by the trial court in 2003. The Orissa High Court commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment in 2005, and the Supreme Court upheld that decision in 2011.
Singh has relied on his long period of incarceration and claimed that he has undergone reform during his imprisonment. His plea also refers to the State's remission policy concerning prisoners whose death sentences were later commuted to life imprisonment.
Supreme Court's Observation
A Bench comprising Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Vijay Bishnoi noted that the matter had been adjourned repeatedly to enable the State Sentence Review Board to consider the plea.
The State placed before the Court a communication from the Directorate of Prisons and Correctional Services stating that a report from the district jail at Kendujhar was still awaited.
The Bench was not satisfied with the explanation. Justice Manoj Misra remarked,
“You take a decision, whatever you want, or else we will take a decision.”
The Court also made it clear that it was not concerned with the manner in which different authorities were communicating with each other.
Court's Decision
The Supreme Court directed the State Sentence Review Board to take a decision on Singh's remission plea and inform the Court about it. The matter has been listed for September 2, 2026.
The Court's order recorded that despite repeated adjournments, it had still not been informed of any decision by the Sentence Review Board. The Board was therefore given a final opportunity to consider the plea and place its decision before the Supreme Court.
Case Details
Case Title: Rabindra Kumar Pal @ Dara Singh v. State of Odisha
Case Number: Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 301/2024; Diary No. 11407/2024
Judge: Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Vijay Bishnoi
Decision Date: August 19, 2026
