Actor dies recreating missionary murder

Graham Staines and his two sons were burnt in 1998

An amateur Indian actor has been burnt to death in a horrific accident while re-enacting the murder of an Australian missionary two years ago.

None of us... had a clue that he used [real] petrol

Organiser V Rama Rao

Mohan Kumar was playing the role of Graham Staines, who was burnt alive along with his two sons in 1998, allegedly by Hindu zealots.

The 26-year old actor was engulfed in flames when a co-actor lit a match near him, unaware that Mr Kumar had doused himself with real petrol.

The incident is said to have taken place a week ago, but has only just come to light.

Shocked

The performance was taking place in the southern city of Madras to mark the missionary's death.

The 1,000-strong audience was horrified when Mohan Kumar went up in flames on stage.

The three were burnt alive by a mob

"None of us, not even his co-actors, had a clue that he used petrol to achieve authenticity for that murder scene," said V Rama Rao, one of the show's organisers.

"It was entirely his own idea and we knew nothing about it," he added.

By the time people realised that something had gone horribly wrong the actor had collapsed on stage.

He died later in a Madras hospital.

Brutal murder

Graham Staines and his sons, Philip and Timothy, were burnt alive while asleep in a jeep in the eastern state of Orissa.

Their deaths sent shockwaves through India's Christian minority who alleged it was carried out at the behest of hardline Hindu groups.

Last year, police arrested Dara Singh, the man they say led the mob that carried out the attack.

An enquiry commission later ruled that Mr Singh had worked alone and not on behalf of any Hindu organisation.

Fourteen other people were also arrested, one of whom - a teenager - was convicted and sent to a juvenile detention centre.