After spending nine days in custody and facing a political uproar, two Catholic nuns from Kerala, Sister Preethi Mary and Sister Vandana Francis, were granted bail and released from Durg Central Jail in Chhattisgarh. They were arrested on July 25, along with Sukaman Mandavi, after a Bajrang Dal activist filed a complaint accusing them of forced conversion and human trafficking. The nuns faced charges under Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 4 of the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act.
The bail was granted by Special Judge Sirajuddin Qureshi of the Bilaspur NIA court. He noted that the FIR was based on “mere apprehension” and “suspicion of the offence.” The court’s decision relied heavily on the statements of the victims and affidavits from their parents. The three girls, all adults, affirmed that the nuns did not force them. Two of them mentioned they have been Christians since childhood. The court also noted that the nuns were not repeat offenders and that the prosecution failed to prove the need for their continued detention.
The arrests sparked significant political controversy in Kerala, which is preparing for elections. Both the ruling Left and the United Democratic Front accused the BJP of playing politics for their own gain. Representatives from all three major political groups attended the NIA court during the bail hearing. The bail was granted a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah promised to intervene.
As part of their bail conditions, the nuns must each submit a bond of Rs 50,000, cannot leave India, and must report to the police biweekly. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) and other church organizations welcomed the decision. They thanked the central and Chhattisgarh governments for their involvement while urging the government to protect the rights of all minorities as guaranteed by the Constitution.
