Now Reading: Odisha court acquits last accused in Graham Staines murder case
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Odisha court acquits last accused in Graham Staines murder case
An Odisha court acquitted 52-year-old Budhadeb Naik on Wednesday (7 October 2026), the last accused facing trial in the 1999 killings of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons. Naik, arrested by the CBI in September 2019 after allegedly remaining untraced for nearly two decades, was accused of being part of the mob that set the family's station wagon ablaze in Manoharpur village, Keonjhar district, on 22 January 1999. His defence lawyer said 19 witnesses examined during the trial did not testify that Naik was present at the spot when the crime took place.
The acquittal leaves former Bajrang Dal activist Dara Singh, 62, as the sole surviving convict serving a life term, 27 years after the crime. Singh's remission plea was rejected by the Odisha government in August, and the state informed the Supreme Court of that decision on 17 September. A prosecution lawyer said the state would study the judgement before deciding whether to challenge Naik's acquittal.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both The Times of India and The New Indian Express report the same core fact, Budhadeb Naik’s acquittal on Wednesday in the Graham Staines murder case, with near-identical detail on the crime, the arrest in 2019, and the defence argument that witnesses did not place Naik at the scene. The Times of India adds the broader timeline of Dara Singh’s sentence, commutation, and rejection of remission in August 2026, framing the acquittal as a closure episode in a 27-year-old case. The New Indian Express, while covering the same remission rejection, notes the state informed the Supreme Court on 17 September 2026, adding a precise judicial reference point. Neither outlet adopts a slanted tone: both present the prosecution’s stated plan to study the verdict before deciding a challenge, leaving the next step open.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), newindianexpress.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
