New Delhi, July 15 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Odisha government to take a decision on the remission plea of Graham Staines' murder convict Dara Singh within a month after he approached the top court seeking premature release having undergone 26 years of his life term punishment. A bench of justices Manoj Misra and Vijay Bishnoi, which has in the past, granted several opportunities for the state's Sentence Review Committee to decide on Singh's plea, adjourned the matter to August 19 after being informed that the Committee is awaiting certain documents for taking a final decision. The bench said, "We deem it appropriate to adjourn the matter to August 19. In the meantime, we expect that the Committee shall take a decision." During the hearing, the court enquired from Odisha counsel PV Yogeswaran about the status of proceedings with regard to Singh's premature release. On earlier dates, the state sought time on the ground that the matter is under consideration. On Tuesday, Yogeswaran said that the Committee has required certain documents from the district court. The same will be arranged and sent to the committee. The bench observed, "You take a decision by August 15. Let him also celebrate Independence Day by then." The Committee had last met early this month when a decision was taken to call for records pertaining to the convict. However, the committee is yet to take a final decision. Singh, who is officially called Rabindra Kumar Pal, had approached the top court in 2024. He was found guilty of burning alive the Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons in Odisha in 1999. In August 2024, the top court entertained his plea for premature release and sought the response of the state government. In his petition, he claimed to maintain good conduct in jail and having repented the consequence of his action. He is aged over 62 years and sought benefit of the state's premature release policy of April 19, 2022 citing his long period of incarceration and good conduct. Singh was convicted and sentenced to death by a trial court in Odisha in September 2003. The Orissa high court upheld his conviction in 2005 but commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment. The HC's order was confirmed by the SC in January 2011....