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Graham Staines

  • Judicial System Resolves Missionary's Murder

    The Staines family before
    the tragedy took place

    Fourteen years after Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons were burnt to death by a right-wing mob, two more suspects were recently arrested from Odisha's (formerly known as Orissa) Keonjhar district.

    It is reported that long-sought fugitives Ghanshyam Mahanta and Ramjan Mahanta were finally arrested on May 17th during a raid by CBI officials and the Keonjhar police. A third individual has still not been located.

    At the time of the horrific incident, Graham Staines, 58, and his sons Philip and Timothy were burnt to death on January 22nd, 1999, by a mob led by Bajrang Dal activist Dara Singh. Graham and his sons were asleep in their station wagon in front of a church in Manoharpur village in Keonjhar, about 400 kilometres northwest of Bhubaneswar.

    According to recent news reports, numerous people had been previously arrested for their involvement in the crime, while the search continued for the remaining three perpetrators. In 2003, a Central Bureau of Investigation court in Bhubaneswar initially sentenced Dara Singh with the death penalty and the others to life imprisonment. In 2005, the Odisha high court commuted the activist leader's death sentence to life imprisonment.

    While we can be thankful that justice is being meted out on behalf of the Staines family, may the Lord continue to use their testimony in the lives of all they so lovingly served in India. Pray that He will continue to nurture the seeds of the Gospel that have been sown through this family's strong Christian witness and the forgiveness extended by Graham's surviving wife Gladys and their daughter Esther. As a result of His ongoing work, may these seeds bear much good fruit in the lives of the people within this community and beyond.
  • Hindu Militant Arrested for Murder of Indian Pastors

    Police have arrested one man and are searching for two others responsible for the deaths of two Indian pastors in recent weeks.  On May 21, the body of Pastor K. Daniel was found on the outskirts of Hyderabad.  On June 2, Pastor Isaac Raju was also found murdered (for more details, click here).  Police interrogated members of various militant Hindu groups in connection with the murder before arresting Goverdhan, a member of Hindu Vahini (Hindu Army). 

    According to news reports, Goverdhan and his accomplices, Satyanarayana and Ganesh, were emboldened to commit the murders after the Orissa High Court commuted the death sentence of Dara Singh to life imprisonment.  Singh was convicted of the 1999 murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons.  A close relative of Goverdhan is reported to have converted to Christianity and they wanted to stop further evangelistic activities.

    Jeep where Graham Staines was burned to death in 1999

    Continue to pray for the families and friends of these murdered pastors.  Pray also for those responsible for the killings, that they will find the mercy and grace of God and will turn to Him.

    For more information on the persecution facing Christians in India,click here.
  • New Film Calls Missionary's Murderer a Hero

    In 1999, Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were burned to death while they slept. In September 2003, thirteen people were convicted of the murder, including a prominent militant Hindu leader, Dara Singh (for more information, see https://www.vomcanada.com/in-2003-09-17.htm).

    In October 2003, a film on the work of Staines was announced, with filming to begin in February 2004. A week later, another movie was announced, to be produced by the militant Hindu group Bajrang Dal, entitled "Dara: The Hero." While acknowledging that the actions of Dara Singh were criminal, a spokesman for Bajrang Dal, Subash Chouhan, said that Staines as a villain and the actions of Dara Singh were commendable as they relate to religious conversions. Earlier, a BJP legislator Bidhubhusan Praharaj had openly defended Dara, saying, "he is an ideological person, not a criminal. He is a protector of the Hindu community."

    An appeal of Dara's death sentence is presently pending in the Orissa High Court.
  • Threats and Violence Follow Verdict

    With the conviction of thirteen Hindu activists in the burning death of missionary Graham Stewart Staines and his two sons in January 1999. Christians in India fear reprisals from militant Hindu groups. According to a report in the Hindustan Times on September 20, a group claiming to defend Dara Singh, who was convicted of the murders, has threatened to kill a Catholic priest in Orissa if the conviction is not overturned. Father Kuriakose received the letter after Singh and the others were convicted on September 15. Police are investigating the validity of the letter.

    In a separate incident, Mid Day Multimedia reported that Hindu activists stopped a prayer meeting in Borivali, India on September 18, driving at least 100 Christians out and locking the hall. The Hindus claimed that the Christians were planning to convert people to Christianity during the meeting, accusing them of using money as inducements for conversion. According to police, they have received complaints from both the Christians and the Hindus and are investigating.

    Pray for inner peace for Christians in India during this time of tension. Pray that violence will not continue and that there might be continued opportunities for Christians to show the love of Christ to their Hindu neighbors.
  • Thirteen Convictions in Burning Death of Missionary

    There are fears of violence and repercussions against Christians in India after the conviction of thirteen militant Hindus on September 15, including a popular Hindu activist. The men were convicted of the deaths of Graham Stewart Staines and his sons Philip, 10, and Timothy, 8, in January 1999 when a mob burned their vehicle while they slept outside a church in Manoharpur, in eastern India's Orissa state. Sentences will be handed down on September 22 and may include the death penalty. The man accused of leading the mob, Dara Singh, was considered a hero by many and was hidden by supporters for over a year after the attack before he was finally arrested. After the verdict was announced, Staines' widow and brother both expressed their forgiveness of the men.

    Join with the Indian church in praying for those convicted, that they might yield to the conviction of God's Spirit and seek His forgiveness. Pray that violence will not erupt in response to the verdict. Pray for Gladys Staines, who continued her ministry to the lepers of Orissa after the death of her husband and sons.
  • Militant Hindu Group Cleared of Involvement in Missionary's Death

    Four years after the murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) has claimed that none of the suspects are members of the militant Hindu group, Bajrang Dal. Graham Staines and his two minor sons -- Philip and Timothy -- were burnt alive as they slept in a jeep at Manoharpur in Keonjhar district in Orissa on January 23, 1999. Eyewitnesses to the murder reported that those responsible were shouting, "Bajrang Dal Zindabad" ("Long live Bajrang Dal"). Several of those arrested for the murder were also reported to be members of the group that is actively opposing Christianity and Islam in India, including training volunteers to fight against them.

    The website for Bajrang Dal (www.hinduunity.org) acknowledges that they are a militant organization, saying, "Hindus who love India and wish to protect Hinduism and are willing to die for it are behind this organization." However, Bajrang Dal denies any responsibility for the attack on Staines. "We were framed," said Subash Chouhan, the chief of the Bajrang Dal's Orissa unit. "Now the truth has come to light."

    Christian spokesmen in India believe the group benefits from its close association with national leaders of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

    Pray that the truth will be found as the trials and investigations continue. Pray that there will be complete freedom of religion throughout India; the freedom to believe, practice, and promote their faith. Pray for Christian workers facing continued opposition from individuals and groups such as Bajrang Dal.