Staines murder witness identifies an accused

Staines murder witness identifies an accused
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

BHUBANESWAR, MARCH 2: Barsi Tudu, 40, the second and most important prosecution witness produced by the CBI before the District and Sessions Judge's court on Friday in the Staines' murder case, stated that those who killed Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two sons were shouting ``Jai Bajrang Bali''and ``Dara Singh Ki Jai'' after committing the crime on January 22, 1999, midnight.

Barsi belongs to Manoharpur village of Keonjhar and her house is situated 20 to 25 ft from the Manoharpur Church and the spot where the Staines were torched to death. During the course of Friday's trial, she also identified Ojen Hansda from among 11 accused in the court hall. Ojen is chargesheeted by the CBI in the triple murder case.

During her examination by CBI counsels, Barsi said before the court that on the night of January 22, 1999, she was about to retire for the day when she heard some thudding feet. She came out and saw 50 to 60 people armed with ``lathis'' and other deadly weapons going towards the church.

``I asked them where they were going at the dead of night. They did not respond. I thought, they were on a hunting spree and then, I went inside my house,'' she told the court.

Minutes later, Barsi heard something burst. She came out of her house and saw the group of men who were proceeding towards the church had surrounded the vehicle in which the Staines were sleeping. The prosecution witness stated before the court that Chenchu Hansda and Ojen Hansda were in the group and she had spotted them while they were going down the road in front of her house.

Then Barsi went to the backyard of her house and saw that the vehicle in which the Staines were sleeping was in flames. She further stated that Ojen had sported a red ``bandanna'' on his forehead.

On cross examination by defence counsels, she said Graham Staines used to sleep in the church van during the night whenever he came to Manoharpur.