The nuns, both members of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate congregation, were arrested on 25 July along with Sukaman Mandavi, a tribal resident of Narayanpur, at Durg railway station.
Published Aug 02, 2025 | 1:09 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 02, 2025 | 3:40 PM
Sister Vandana Francis from Thalassery and Sister Preethi Mary from Angamaly, who were arrested in Chhattisgarh.
Synopsis: A special NIA court granted bail to two Kerala nuns arrested in Chhattisgarh for alleged human trafficking and forced religious conversion. Arrested with a tribal woman, the nuns denied coercion, stating the women traveled willingly. The case sparked outrage in Kerala, with calls to drop what many call false charges.
A special NIA court in Bilaspur on Saturday, 2 August, granted bail to two Kerala-based nuns — Sister Preethi Mary and Sister Vandana Francis — who had been arrested on charges of human trafficking and forcible religious conversion.
The court’s decision came after days of legal tussle and political outrage, especially in Kerala.
The nuns, both members of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate congregation, were arrested on 25 July along with Sukaman Mandavi, a tribal resident of Narayanpur, at Durg railway station. The arrests followed a complaint filed by Bajrang Dal activists, who alleged that the three were forcibly taking young women, including a tribal person, to Agra for religious conversion.
The court granted bail on the condition that the nuns surrender their passports and furnish two sureties along with a personal bond of ₹50,000 each. Political sources from Chhattisgarh said the nuns are likely to be released from jail by Saturday evening.
Some other conditions of the bail include:
Their bail application was earlier shifted from a Durg sessions court to the special NIA court after the State argued for jurisdictional propriety.
When the bail plea was heard earlier in the sessions court, the prosecution supported the Bajrang Dal’s argument against granting bail and also endorsed the view that the sessions court lacked jurisdiction.
The Bajrang Dal’s counsel argued that granting bail could trigger further religious conversions and disturb communal harmony, urging a detailed investigation into the matter.
However, during hearing before NIA court Judge Sirajuddin Qureshi, on Friday, 1 August, the defence argued that both nuns, aged around 55, were engaged in social service and had no criminal background.
“There was no evidence of coercion. The women had accompanied the nuns willingly, and their parents confirmed that they had been practising Christianity for 4–5 years and were aware of their daughters’ travel plans,” said defence counsel Das.
The court also asked the prosecution if further custody of the accused was needed for investigation, to which the prosecution reportedly remained silent.
“We emphasized that the entire case stemmed from suspicion after the women and the nuns were seen together at the station. No medical examination proved any form of assault, and the women were all legal adults,” Das added.
Public Prosecutor Dau Ram Chandravanshi told reporters that the prosecution had opposed the bail plea, arguing that the case was still in its early investigative stage.
After hearing both sides, the court reserved its order on Friday before announcing the bail on Saturday.
Advocate Sister Helen, the legal coordinator for the nuns, told South First that, the bail could have been granted on Friday, but unfortunately it was delayed. The next hurdle is the time taken to receive the bail order at the jail. The NIA court is expected to email the order to the Durg magistrate, who must then process and forward it to the jail authorities, a procedure complicated by the nearly three hour distance between them.
She also mentioned that local priests have expressed concern about possible protests by the opposing group in response to the bail. Therefore, adequate security arrangements are essential at the time of the nuns release.
“We are hopeful the nuns will walk out of jail today itself. But for quashing the case entirely, further legal procedures are required. This is only bail, not acquittal, so that process will take more time,” she added.
The case quickly escalated into a political flashpoint in Kerala, prompting intervention from top BJP leaders.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly assured Kerala MPs that neither the Centre nor the Chhattisgarh government would oppose the bail plea. Shah had also directed the filing of fresh bail applications in the trial court and expressed confidence that relief would be granted within two days.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar revealed that a bishop had approached him about the matter, which was then brought to the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“We don’t treat this as a political issue. When people seek help, we respond regardless of their religion or political background,” Chandrasekhar said earlier. He added that areas like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand are particularly sensitive with regard to religious conversions.
Opposition Leader VD Satheesan on Saturday lashed out at the BJP over the arrest of two Catholic nuns in Chhattisgarh, terming it part of a wider pattern of attacks on minorities.
The Congress and the UDF, he said, will fully support legal efforts to quash the FIR filed against the nuns, who have now spent nine days in jail on charges of religious conversion and human trafficking.
He praised Congress MLAs Roji M. John and Sajeev Joseph for leading the legal defence on the ground.
He also referred to Christmas 2023, reiterating the party’s earlier warning about BJP leaders visiting church heads under the guise of goodwill. “The cake was a hoax,” he said, alleging a hidden political agenda behind the gestures.
Highlighting support from national leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi and former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, he stressed that the Congress would resist the BJP’s “politics of division” with full force and remain committed to protecting constitutional rights.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), has expressed concern over the ongoing case despite their release on bail.
Thanking all those who supported efforts to secure the bail — including individuals across political, social, and religious lines — the Archbishop also extended his gratitude to both the central and state governments.
While welcoming the bail, he pointed out that the nuns were released with conditions and called for the case to be quashed at the earliest, terming it baseless and founded on false accusations.
“Three young women of legal age went to work with the nuns with the full consent of their parents. Yet, a case was registered against them involving human trafficking and religious conversion. This is wrong and unjust,” the Archbishop stated.
He asserted that the case violates the principles of religious freedom and minority rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India, “one of the best constitutions in the world.”
He urged the authorities to take necessary steps to safeguard these rights and curb the activities of extremist groups allegedly involved in targeting Christians.
The Archbishop also raised concern about the rising instances of discrimination and violence against Christians in various states in recent times.
The nuns and Mandavi were booked under Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for trafficking and Section 4 of the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968 — a law that penalizes forced religious conversions with imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of ₹2 lakh.
The religious leaders as well as the political leaders are now demanding that the case itself got dropped as it’s based on false charges.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
