Everyone should be given another chance to live: Gladys

Bhubaneswar, Jan 21 (PTI) Gladys Staines, widow ofGraham Staines, today expressed satisfaction over the SupremeCourt judgement that upheld life term for Dara Singh,convicted for the murder of her husband and two minor sons.

Gladys Staines, who has been staying in Australia afterthe killing of her missionary husband and two sons in 1999,was happy that Dara Singh and his accomplice Mahendra Hembramwere convicted in the case.

"Every person should be given another chance to rebuildhis/her life," said Prof Subhankar Ghosh, quoting Staines''widow.

Ghosh, a close friend of the Staines family and in-chargeof the Staines leprosy home and Evangelical MissionarySociety, Mayurbhanj, had a telephonic conversation with Gladysafter the Supreme Court pronounced its judgement today.

Gladys, who last visited Orissa last year, had told mediathat she had already "forgiven" the killers.

Her sons Philip and Timothy, then 10 years and sixyears old respectively, were killed along with their father.

Their only daughter Esther, who was brought up inOrissa''s Mayurbhanj district and was now a final year medicalstudent in Australia, had meanwhile married, said Ghosh,adding that both the mother and daughter had forgiven thekillers.

"There is need for the killers to repent for theiractions," Ghosh said, quoting the mother-daughter duo.

Meanwhile, welcoming the apex court verdict, BhubaneswarChristian Community (BCC) and Orissa Minority Forum said at ameeting here that the entire community had forgiven theconvicts.

"The killers should not be killed. We hope Dara and hisaccomplice will be transformed and follow the right path,"they said.