New Delhi: The legal battle surrounding the arrest of two Malayali Catholic nuns in Chhattisgarh has taken a significant turn, with the Chhattisgarh government officially opposing the bail plea, despite claims to the contrary by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A certified copy of the Durg Sessions Court verdict, accessed by Mathrubhumi News, clearly reveals that the state government took a proactive role in resisting bail, putting to rest speculation that the administration had remained neutral. This latest revelation directly contradicts statements made by certain BJP leaders, who claimed that the government had not filed any objection during the bail hearing.
The court proceedings, which took place at the Durg Sessions Court, saw impassioned arguments from both sides. While the defense lawyer appealed for the immediate release of the nuns, citing their service-oriented vocation and the baseless nature of the allegations, the public prosecutor adopted a combative stance, asserting that the court lacked the authority to grant bail under the sections invoked, which include Section 143 (unlawful assembly), sections under the anti-conversion law, and provisions related to human trafficking. The prosecution went as far as to claim that granting bail could result in a “repetition of religious conversions,” a statement widely condemned by civil rights groups and Christian organizations as communal fearmongering and judicial overreach.
In its ruling, the Durg Sessions Court declined to consider the bail application, pointing out that it was not within its jurisdiction to handle a case involving grave charges such as human trafficking. The court directed the petitioners to move the NIA (National Investigation Agency) court in Bilaspur, escalating the case to a higher level of legal scrutiny. This decision came in the wake of a similar rejection by the magistrate court a day earlier, marking the second denial of bail for Sister Vandana Francis and Sister Preethi Mary, who remain in judicial custody at Durg Central Jail.
The nuns, members of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (Green Gardens), a religious congregation under the Syro-Malabar Church, were arrested last Friday at Durg Railway Station. They were accompanying four young girls students from their institution when police intervened, citing anonymous allegations of religious conversion and trafficking. The accusations have since drawn widespread criticism, with the Church and human rights advocates denouncing the arrests as politically motivated and symptomatic of a growing climate of religious intolerance in India.
As the court announced its decision to reject bail, a disturbing spectacle unfolded outside the courtroom. Bajrang Dal activists, who had gathered since the morning with placards and saffron flags, erupted into celebrations, clapping and chanting slogans against the nuns. Bajrang Dal leader Jyoti Sharma, along with a group of affiliated lawyers, publicly announced the bail rejection as a “victory,” framing it as a blow to alleged conversion rackets. The celebratory atmosphere has sparked outrage among Christian leaders and secular voices, who criticized the public mockery of a judicial decision and the normalization of communal triumphalism.
Church leaders have expressed deep concern over the public prosecutor’s rhetoric, which they believe contributed to painting the nuns as offenders even before any evidence was judicially examined. The Chhattisgarh government’s active opposition to bail, now documented and undeniable, has intensified the belief that the state machinery is aligned with hostile right-wing elements who view Christian social work through a lens of suspicion and hostility. What was once a matter of legal procedure is now seen as a test of India's constitutional commitment to religious freedom and minority rights.
The arrest of Sister Vandana and Sister Preethi is not an isolated case but part of a larger pattern of weaponizing anti-conversion laws to target minority communities. While these laws are ostensibly designed to prevent coercive religious conversions, activists argue that they have become a convenient pretext to harass, intimidate, and criminalize charitable work conducted by Christian missionaries and religious congregations, especially in tribal and remote regions. The continuing detention of the nuns, despite their long-standing service record and lack of any criminal history, only adds fuel to this claim.
As the case now moves to the NIA court in Bilaspur, the spotlight remains on whether justice will prevail amidst growing political pressure and communal narratives. The Church has reiterated its demand for a fair, transparent judicial process, free from mob influence and political interference. Meanwhile, the faithful across India and beyond continue to stand in solidarity with the nuns, viewing their ordeal not only as a legal injustice but as a spiritual and moral crisis that challenges the very soul of India's democracy.