The Supreme Court on Wednesday admitted cross appeals by Ravinder Pal Singh alias Dara and Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with his conviction by the Orissa High Court in the murder case of Australian missionary Graham Staines.
While Dara had filed an appeal challenging his conviction and the life sentence awarded to him, CBI has sought enhancement of the life sentence.
The appeals were admitted by a Bench comprising Justices Asok Bhan and Altamas Kabir.
When CBI's counsel advanced some reasons for setting aside the high court verdict acquitting 11 accused in the case, the bench said he was referring to the reasons which are not part of the SLP.
"Are you reading extra papers which are not in the SLP," the bench asked the counsel and said it has only to see the reasons given for acquittal by the high court and it is for the agency to show how it was bad in law.
The high court on May 19 had set aside Rabindra Pal Singh alias Dara Singh's death sentence for the murder of Staines and his two minor sons—Philip, 10, and Timothy, 6-- but had upheld life imprisonment on him for being part of an unlawful assembly that burnt them alive.
Along with Dara, another person Mahendra Hembram was convicted in the case.
However, the high court had acquitted 11 others who were awarded life terms by the trial court in the case that had sparked worldwide outrage in 1999.
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