India, July 16 -- The Supreme Court has given the Odisha government a month to decide on the remission plea of a "repenting" Ravindra Pal, alias Dara Singh, who is serving a life sentence for the murders of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two minor sons in Keonjhar district in 1999.

A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Vijay Bishnoi posted the matter for hearing on August 19 after the state government sought time.

"Let him also celebrate Independence Day. You must take a decision by August 15," the court told the counsel for the Odisha government on Tuesday.

The bench had earlier as well asked the state's sentence review committee to take a call on Singh's remission plea.

"A request has been made on behalf of the st...