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Dara Singh let 'loose a reign of terror' to usher in 'Ram rajya'

Arup Chanda in Manoharpur

Who is Dara Singh? No, he is not the humane muscleman of Bollywood. Neither does he fight against evil to protect the poor.

This Dara Singh is the prime accused in the burning of an Australian missionary, Dr Graham Stewart Stains, and his two children.

Singh's real name is Rabindra Pal and he hails from Kukur village in Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh. He migrated from Kanpur to Mayurbhanj 10 years ago to eke out a living in this backward district of Orissa.

He was then a Bajrang Dal activist. The organisation had sent him to Orissa with a mission: to ''cleanse'' the tribal-dominated areas of ''evil minorities''.

Soon he became a hero for Hindu fundamentalists as he allegedly let loose a reign of terror in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts. He reportedly indulged in arson, looting, extortion and beating up Muslims traders and putting fear in the minds of tribals who embraced Christianity.

This 32-year-old man, who carries a reward of Rs 25,000 on his head, was allegedly a small-time hooligan who did not miss the chance to become a ''fanatic upholder'' of Hinduism in the past few years riding on the crest of the Bharatiya Janata Party wave.

Several criminal cases exist against him and he had been arrested by the police on several occasions. However, he managed to secure bail and carry on his ''crusade'' against Muslims and Christians.

According to intelligence reports, most of the 10-odd cases registered against him relate to wrongful confinement, assault on public servants and rioting.

On January 6, the Orissa police had booked Singh with charges of dacoity. Three days before allegedly leading the marauding mob that ''killed the missionary'', he held a meeting at the nearby Tulsibani condemning the missionary "activities of conversion" and urged the people "to do something about it".

According to the local people, the area was more or less peaceful till the BJP came to power at the Centre, when attacks on the minorities started. Ever since, people have been living in fear as Dara Singh and his gang have openly threatened to eliminate them and proclaim "Ram rajya" in the area.

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