Staines murder accused not
Bajrang Dal activists: CBI

In a new twist to the Graham Staines murder case, a Central Bureau of Investigation officer on Monday told a court that none of the 18 persons chargesheeted in the case belonged to the Bajrang Dal.

Deposing before District and Sessions Judge M N Patnaik, investigating officer Joginder Nayak said he had found no link between the Bajrang Dal and the 18 persons chargesheeted in the case.

The FIR lodged by the CBI had identified six persons, including the main accused Dara Singh, as members of 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.