Sudarshan News editor-in-chief Suresh Chavhanke sat on a dharna on Wednesday, after he was not allowed to meet convicted murderer Dara Singh in Odisha. Sudarshan News covered the protest outside the Odisha jail.

Chavhanke is reportedly on a two-day visit to Odisha and he was supposed to meet Dara Singh as part of his campaign to get the latter released from jail.

In a circular on Monday, the police had asked its officials to “remain alert” and take “necessary security, preventive and precautionary measures” to ensure that the visit goes “hassle-free”

While speaking to the media, Chavhanke said, “We had given an application to the government 15 days ago…Now they are saying that they will not let us meet him because something happened last night…This is a violation of our human rights. We want to meet Dara Singh and this is a violation of our democratic rights. This is why I am sitting in protest and I will not leave until I meet him.”

Dara Singh, who has been associated with Sangh Parivar affiliates such as the Bajrang Dal and the BJP, is servicing prison sentences in multiple murder cases. He is serving life imprisonment for the murder of a Muslim trader in 1999. He has also been convicted of burning to death Australian Christian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two minor sons in Odisha the same year.

Watch our interview with Chavhanke here: