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Tuesday, June 22, 1999

Wadhwa Commission submits report

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA  
NEW DELHI, JUNE 21: The Justice D P Wadhwa Commission, which enquired into the killing of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two children in Orissa in January this year, today submitted its report to the Government, but did not divulge its findings as the criminal investigation in the case is not yet over.

In its 250-page report submitted to Union Home Secretary Kamal Pande by secretary to the commission D G R Patnaik, the Commission observed, "The killing of Graham Staines and his two children is an entirely unjustified act which is a slur on humanity and a blot on civilised society."

The Commission, constituted on January 29, examined over 52 witnesses, 130 affidavits, thousands of pages of documents and other material in course of its inquiry in Delhi and Bhubaneswar, Patnaik told reporters after submitting the report.

Refusing to divulge if any individual or any organisation had been indicted in the report, Patnaik said, "The Commission has, in recording its findings, been conscious of thefact that the criminal investigation is yet to be concluded and the trial yet to commence."

Patnaik said the Commission, which recorded its findings relating to the incident and the role of any individual or organisation, had also made certain recommendations.

During the course of inquiry, the Commission had issued summons to the prime accused in the case and alleged Bajrang Dal activist Dara Singh on the address provided by police authorities but he did not turn up, Patnaik said.

The commission, which submitted its report seven days before its term was to end, held 25 sittings at Delhi and Bhubaneswar and was assisted in its task by senior commission counsel Gopal Subramanium and three of his team members.

While making his final submission before the commission on May 31, Subramanium had observed that "though evidence clearly indicate prima facie involvement of Dara Singh in the killing and also his association with various organisations like Bajrang Dal and RSS, whether any organisation is involvedin the case can be brought out only after he is arrested and interrogated."

"We can't draw a conclusive inference. We can only draw tentative inference as far as involvement of any organisation in the killing of the missionary and his two sons," he told the commission.

Endorsing Subramanium's argument, Orissa Government counsel Jayanta Das had said though there was sufficient evidence before the commission to indicate the association of Dara Singh with several organisations like the Bajrang Dal and RSS, there was no evidence about any direct or indirect involvement of such organisations in the murder.

Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.


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