Everyone should be given another chance to live: Gladys Staines

Gladys Staines, widow of Graham Staines, on Friday expressed satisfaction over the Supreme Court judgement that upheld life term for Dara Singh, who has been convicted for the murder of her husband and two minor sons.

Gladys Staines, who has been staying in Australia after the killing of her missionary husband and two sons in 1999, was happy that Dara Singh and his accomplice Mahendra Hembram were convicted in the case.

"Every person should be given another chance to rebuild his/her life," said Professor Subhankar Ghosh, quoting Staines' widow.

Ghosh, a close friend of the Staines family and in-charge of the Staines leprosy home and Evangelical Missionary Society in Mayurbhanj, had a telephonic conversation with Gladys after the Supreme Court pronounced its judgement on Friday.

Gladys, who visited Orissa last year, had told the media that she had already 'forgiven' the killers. Her sons Philip and Timothy, then 10 years and six years old respectively, were killed along with their father.

Their only daughter Esther, who was brought up in Orissa's Mayurbhanj district and was now a final year medical student in Australia, had meanwhile married, said Ghosh, adding that both the mother and daughter had forgiven the killers.

"There is need for the killers to repent for their actions," Ghosh said, quoting the mother-daughter duo.

Meanwhile, welcoming the apex court verdict, Bhubaneswar Christian Community and Orissa Minority Forum said at a meeting that the entire community had forgiven the convicts.

"The killers should not be killed. We hope Dara and his accomplice will be transformed and follow the right path," they said.