Mahendra Hembram, one of the convicts in the 1999 murder case of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons, was released from Keonjhar jail in Odisha on Wednesday, April 16, after serving 25 years of a life sentence.

The 51-year-old was granted premature release on the grounds of "good behaviour," following recommendations from the Odisha State Sentence Review Board in line with the state's premature release policy, The Indian Express reported.

Hembram was arrested on December 9, 1999, and convicted alongside Rabindra Pal Singh, alias Dara Singh, for the brutal killing that sparked international outrage.

Staines and his sons—Timothy, 6, and Philip, 10—were burnt alive by a mob while sleeping inside a vehicle in Manoharpur village, Keonjhar district, on the night of January 21, 1999. The incident was widely seen as a culmination of rising tensions over alleged religious conversions in the region.

Upon his release, Hembram maintained that he was falsely implicated, claiming he had merely opposed religious conversions and cow slaughter in the area.

His release comes at a time when the Supreme Court has also asked the Odisha government to decide on a similar plea for the premature release of Dara Singh.

State officials have indicated that a decision on Singh's release is expected soon.