A special NIA court in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, granted conditional bail to two Kerala-based nuns and a tribal youth who were arrested on July 25 on charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion.
Principal District and Sessions Judge Sirajuddin Qureshi granted bail to Sisters Preethi Merry and Vandana Francis from the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI) and Sukaman Mandavi. The arrest took place at Durg railway station after a local Bajrang Dal functionary filed a complaint alleging the three were attempting to traffic and convert three tribal girls. The judge set bail conditions, including a ₹50,000 bond and passport surrender.
Defense Denies All Allegations; Calls FIR Baseless
The defense lawyer, Amrito Das, told the court that the FIR filed against the nuns and the tribal youth lacked merit. He pointed out that the parents of the tribal girls had confirmed their daughters had been practicing Christianity for years. The lawyer said the girls were legally adults and were going to Agra for work voluntarily. He stated that this disproved the allegations of human trafficking and forced conversion. The court accepted the argument and granted conditional bail. The accused have to provide two sureties and remain compliant with the conditions laid out by the court.
Political Leaders React; Church and Public Protest Arrests
The arrest drew political reactions and protests across Kerala. CPM leader Brinda Karat called the bail a victory for tribal communities and accused Bajrang Dal and Hindu Vahini of filing false complaints. CPI(M) MP John Brittas said, “It is a victory of the Constitution. It was a false case against two nuns. Our fight will continue to get the FIR quashed.” Church leaders and political parties, including both the ruling LDF and the Opposition, criticised the arrests. Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar described the arrests as a misunderstanding and said the Chhattisgarh government would not oppose bail.
Earlier Court Dismissed Bail; Case Shifted to NIA Jurisdiction
Before the bail was granted, a sessions court in Durg had dismissed the bail plea on jurisdictional grounds under the human trafficking section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The court directed the petitioners to approach the designated NIA court in Bilaspur. The special court heard the arguments and agreed that the charges did not justify detention. Following this decision, the NIA court accepted the bail applications and ordered the release of all three accused under specific conditions. This case continues to draw attention, with demands for legal action against those who filed the original complaint.
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Swastika Sruti is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX Digital with 5 years of experience shaping stories that matter. She loves tracking politics- national and global trends, and never misses a chance to dig deeper into policies and developments. Passionate about what’s happening around us, she brings sharp insight and clarity to every piece she works on. When not curating news, she’s busy exploring what’s next in the world of public interest. You can reach her at [swastika.newsx@gmail.com]
