Bilaspur: Kerala Water Resources Minister Roshi Augustine has termed the bail granted to the Malayali nuns in Chhattisgarh as nothing more than a temporary relief in a much larger fight for justice. Speaking to the media, the minister asserted that the episode represents a direct challenge to social justice and constitutional values. “The granting of bail reaffirms that the Constitution has not completely eroded. But this is only a partial step what we seek is total dismissal of this unjust case,” he said.
The minister further remarked that the investigating agencies failed to submit any credible evidence to substantiate the grave charges of human trafficking against the nuns. “There’s no point in speculating about who intervened to secure bail. What matters is that the judicial process acknowledged the absence of evidence,” he noted.
Sister Vandana Francis and Sister Preethi Mary, the two nuns arrested by Chhattisgarh police based on a complaint filed by Bajrang Dal members, were granted bail on the ninth day of their imprisonment. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Bilaspur, presided over by Principal Sessions Judge Sirajuddin Qureshi, delivered the order. The court found that the charges were largely speculative and lacking in merit.
The judge noted that the young women accompanying the nuns had testified in their support, and their parents submitted affidavits confirming that the travel was consensual and free from coercion. The court imposed conditions for bail: a bond of ₹50,000 each, submission of passports, and a travel restriction outside the country.
Meanwhile, the case took another serious turn as the young women involved filed a police complaint against Bajrang Dal activists, accusing them of public assault and mob intimidation. The complaint mentions Jyoti Sharma and others, alleging that they tried to force false confessions and physically harassed the girls in front of police officials. The CPI has stepped in to provide protection to the complainants.
Adding a political dimension to the developments, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar visited Durg Central Jail to meet the nuns following their bail approval. His arrival at Raipur airport around 10 a.m. was met with anticipation, as speculation had been building that the BJP leadership would attempt to publicly align with the nuns' release.
However, this move has stirred questions about political double standards, especially in light of the controversial satirical post recently shared from BJP Chhattisgarh’s official social media handle, targeting the arrested nuns.
As the nuns prepare to walk free tonight, their relatives and a wide cross-section of the public are demanding that the case be scrapped in its entirety. Emotional scenes unfolded outside Durg Jail, where family members and political leaders from across the spectrum were present.
The larger concern now circles around the misuse of anti-conversion laws and growing instances of religious profiling. Roshi Augustine summed up the mood aptly: “The bail may offer a brief moment of solace, but justice will be incomplete until this case is struck down in full.”