The Hindu : Witness' charge against Staines

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 13, 2003

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Witness' charge against Staines

By Our Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR JUNE 12. A woman defence witness in the case pertaining to the killing of the Australian missionary, Graham Stuart Staines, today told a local court that she had converted to Christianity after being persuaded by the missionary and also alleged that Staines had tried to outrage her modesty.

Deposing before the District and Sessions Judge, Mahendra Nath Patnaik, the witness, Hemalata Karua (32), said Staines had asked her and her husband to convert to Christianity saying that they would have no financial difficulty if they changed their faith. She and her husband were converted at a jungle camp at Manoharpur on January 21.

She alleged that Staines attempted to outrage her modesty when she was alone in a hut behind the local church. She informed the matter to her husband the next morning after which they left for their village. Two days later, she heard that the missionary had been killed at the camp.

The CBI counsel, however, opposed the submissions of Ms. Karua saying that she was lying before the court at the instance of Dipu Das, one of the main accused in the case.

After the examination of all the prosecution witnesses, the court is now recording the statements of the defence witnesses.

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Witness' charge against Staines