Gladys Staines deposes before court; fails to identify accused

Gladys Staines, widow of Australian Missionary Graham Staines who was killed along with his two minor sons in 1999, today could not identify two accused persons while deposing before a local court here.
Staines who has been residing in Australia, appeared before the District and Sessions Judge, Khurda as per a summon issued to her.
Giving details of the incident that took place on the night of January 22, 1999, Gladys informed the court that she was not present at Monoharpur village of Mayurbhanj district when the miscreants set fire to a van where her husband and two sons, Timothy and Philip, were sleeping.

"Since Mrs Staines was not present at the spot, she could not recognise the accused persons. She informed the court about the killing as a witness," CBI counsel K P Mishra said.
The court fixed next the hearing on February 5.
"I am very happy to be in India. I love the people here," she later told reporters outside the court.
The second phase of the hearing on the triple murder case began last year after the CBI arrested two more accused persons allegedly involved in burning alive Staines and his two sons.