That the Supreme Court has upheld the life sentence awarded to Dara Singh, who killed Australian Christian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, is unfortunate.
Yes, everyone has a right to life. If a man sentenced to death shows remorse and undergoes a change of heart, he surely deserves to be given another chance. But what unnerves me is the court's conclusion that this is not the rarest of rare cases and the observation that Dara Singh wanted to teach Staines a lesson about his religious activities. How can one teach another a lesson by murdering him?
P. Suresh,
Vadodara
The court's reference to Staines' missionary work appears to extend some sort of sympathy to Dara Singh. Though questionable methods of religious conversion are to be condemned, talking about the merits and demerits of the same in the judgment should have been avoided for its potential to send a wrong message.
Kasim Sait,
Chennai
The honourable judges' conclusion that this is not one of the rarest of rare cases leaves one numb with disbelief. Gladys Staines showed true Christian spirit when she openly said that she forgave Dara Singh but the court of law should have done its duty. A pardon could have come later through appropriate procedures.
D.D. Vayanan Thomas,
Tirunelveli
