Cuttack, Jan 11: The Orissa High Court on Monday dismissed the criminal appeal of Dara Singh alias Rabindra Kumar Pal against the trial court’s judgment, which had convicted him for committing murder of Sk Rahaman, a garment shop owner on August 26, 1999.

The Sessions Judge court in Baripada on 29 October 2007 had awarded lifer to Singh on the charge of the brutal murder of a trader Sk. Rahaman on 26 August 1999 at Padiabeda weekly market under Thakurmunda police station jurisdiction.

The criminal appeal was filed the same year.

The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray said, “We do not see any infirmity in the approach of the learned trial court. Concurring with the conclusions of the trial court on this aspect, we reject those submissions of the appellant. Accordingly, the conviction as awarded by the trial court is affirmed.”

Dara Singh’s counsel had prayed for reduction of the sentence on the ground that Singh had already undergone 21 years jail sentence in the Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines murder case.