Kuliana (Mayurbhanj), Feb. 1 :     Dara Singh, arrested at a Keonjhar village last night, confessed today to killing Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons at Manoharpur on January 23 last year. Deputy inspector-general (eastern Range) S.K. Pradhan said Dara admitted to all the crimes he was accused of - killing the Staineses, a Muslim trader and Catholic priest Arul Doss. But he denied working for any political party or religious body, including the Bajrang Dal. According to Pradhan, Dara said he had killed the missionary because he was converting tribals. He also admitting to killing Sheikh Rahman, a Muslim trader in Pariabeda, but refused to give a motive. Dara said he hated Christians. 'I wanted to stop all conversions by Christians,' he was quoted as saying. His confession was recorded at the Kuliana police station today in the presence of senior officials. He was brought to Kuliana, about 15 km from Baripada, district headquarters of Mayurbhanj, for questioning this afternoon. Later, he was taken to Karanjia, about 150 km away, to be produced before the sub-divisional judicial magistrate. He was remanded in two nights' judicial custody. The hearing is expected to take place tomorrow. A senior police officer said Dara was totally composed and had not broken down once since his arrest. 'He ate heartily and even hummed a tune,' the officer said. Dara, a religious fanatic, was lured by undercover police officers into a trap with the offer of a gun at Gohira village late last night. The arrest ended a year-long search for the most wanted fugitive in recent times. Pradhan said a Dara associate had tipped off the police on Sunday that he was desperately looking for a firearm. Word was sent to Dara that a gun dealer would meet him in the village on Monday night and give him a rapid-fire gun at a throwaway price. Posing as the seller, the officer in charge of Thakurmunda police station, Balaram Sagar, met him around 11 pm while armed policemen surrounded the village. But Dara smelled a rat while talking to the undercover officer. 'He told me that this place was not safe and wanted us to discuss the deal later,' Sagar said. As he tried to bolt, Sagar pounced on him and pinned him down. 'Dara realised his mistake but then it was too late,' Sagar said. The officer said he was determined to net Dara after he gave the police the slip in Sudangbahali jungle in Keonjhar on December 9. DIG Pradhan said Dara was arrested in connection with six cases, including the killing of Doss and Rahman. 'We could not arrest him for the Manoharpur incident since the CBI was dealing with that,' he added. The CBI, which failed to arrest Dara, has already filed a chargesheet. A CBI team today reached Kuliana and questioned him. Pradhan said he was handed over to the crime branch of the state police. Dara, a wiry man, wore a faded, red T-shirt. His face was partly covered with a towel as he will be lined up for identification later. His eyes were bloodshot and he had a stubble. The police had a tough time controlling the crowd that thronged the station to see him. Hailing from Etawa, Uttar Pradesh, he had been operating from Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj for the past 15 years. Originally called Ravindra Kumar, he does not remember who changed his name to Dara Singh. With his arrest, minorities, especially church officials, who were living in fear for the past one year, feel relieved. 'We have been living under threat for the past one year. Now we can move about freely,' said a priest in Keonjhar. Gladys Staines reportedly said: 'I have already forgiven him, but I am happy that he is no longer capable of killing others.'