http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/feb/03dara.htm
Imran Khan in Bhubaneswar Shyamanand
Mahapatra, a senior politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Orissa,
is to defend Dara Singh, prime accused in the sensational murder of
Australian missionary Graham Stewart Staines and his two minor sons.
During the hearing in the case on
Friday, when the trial was adjourned to March 1, Dara Singh told the
court that Mahapatra would represent him. "Now on Shyamanand Mahapatra
will be my lawyer in the case," Singh told the judge.
Mahapatra, a former state BJP vice-president,
is a senior lawyer of the Orissa high court in Cuttack.
Earlier, Dara Singh was represented
by Bana Mohanty.
Mahapatra, known for his hardline
approach and closeness to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, was happy to
defend Dara Singh. He told rediff.com, "Yeh to hona hi tha (this was
inevitable)."
"Dara Singh has shown confidence
in me by selecting me to defend him," he added.
Mahapatra is already defending four
of the 18 accused in the case. The missionary and his sons were burnt
alive by a mob, allegedly led by Dara Singh, at Manoharpur village
of Keonjhar district on January 23, 1999.
Sources close to the VHP in Orissa
said the expenditure on Dara Singh's defence was being borne by VHP
supporters.
