Raipur: A wave of political outrage is intensifying as the bail plea of two Keralite Catholic nuns arrested in Chhattisgarh on charges of forced religious conversion and human trafficking was once again deferred, despite assurances from the Union Home Minister. MPs from Kerala have called out both the Central and Chhattisgarh governments for what they described as a “scam” and a “cruel game of hide and seek.”
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP A.A. Rahim was among the first to lash out publicly, stating on Facebook that “this is not just a fake case, but a deeply orchestrated scam.” He accused the authorities of stretching the judicial process unfairly and demanded immediate release of the two nuns and the 19-year-old tribal youth also detained in the same case.
Rahim criticized the prosecution’s last-minute move to oppose bail in the NIA court, even after Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly assured Kerala MPs that the nuns would be released “by today.” With the court now reserving its verdict until tomorrow, the nuns remain behind bars for yet another day. “This is nothing but judicial cruelty,” Rahim said, adding that fabricated cases like these undermine faith in secular democracy.
Left MP P.P. Suneer, who was part of the delegation that met the Home Minister, echoed similar disappointment. “What was promised outside and what unfolded inside the court were entirely different,” he stated. Suneer said he had trusted the assurance that the prosecution would not object to bail but was proven wrong. Jose K. Mani MP, too, labeled the case “unjust” and stressed that it had ignited protests across political and religious lines. “Even the government’s lawyer was expected to refrain from opposing bail, yet the reverse happened,” he told the media.
The two nuns Sister Vandana Francis from Thalassery’s Udayagiri Parish and Sister Preethi Mary from Elavoor Parish in Angamaly were arrested in Durg last Saturday. They had been accompanied by three young girls who were allegedly en route to join a mission-run hospital for work. Though the girls had presented written parental consent and confirmed they were already Christians, Bajrang Dal activists intercepted the group and accused the nuns of trafficking and forced conversion.
These claims, backed by the police, led to the arrest and imprisonment of the sisters. Sister Preethi was named the first accused, and Sister Vandana the second. Despite clear documentation and witness statements in their favor, the Sessions Court declined jurisdiction to grant them bail, directing them instead to the NIA court where the plea was again opposed by the prosecution.
Citing an ongoing investigation, the prosecution warned of potential witness tampering arguments that critics say are politically motivated and baseless. The same line of reasoning was repeated by the Chhattisgarh government, which continues to uphold the charges even as legal and political pressure mounts.
Faith leaders and civil society groups across India have described the arrests as a blatant misuse of state machinery to target Christian missionaries. The case, they say, reflects a growing trend of communal vigilantism and institutional complicity.
As the court prepares to deliver its verdict on the bail application tomorrow, a restless wait continues not just for the nuns behind bars, but for all those who believe their imprisonment symbolizes a darker erosion of justice and religious freedom in India.