A man accused of the murder of a Australian missionary and
his two children in India in 1999, has confessed he set fire to the jeep in
which the three victims were sleeping.
Christian missionary Graham Staines and his two teenaged sons were burnt to
death, after a mob set fire to their vehicle in Manohapur village in the
Keonjhar district of the eastern state of Orissa.
Sixteen people are on trial for the murders and at least one of them is alleged
to have connections with a right-wing Hindu group.
As the defence counsel began examining a witness during trial proceedings on
Friday, one of the co-accused interrupted, saying he had a confession to make.
"I had set fire to the vehicle in which Staines was asleep," Mahendra
Hembram said.
"I want to narrate details, tell everything and even identify others who
were involved."
The 22-year-old sought the court's permission to record a statement, which was
granted.
The murder of Mr Staines and his children shocked the country and highlighted
tensions between Hindus and Christians.
Christians account for just 2 per cent of the overwhelmingly Hindu population
of India.