RAIPUR –
Mounting criticism is being directed at the Chhattisgarh Police after they reportedly refused to register a case against members of the Bajrang Dal, who had falsely accused two Keralite Catholic nuns of forced religious conversion and human trafficking.

The controversy erupted on July 25, when Sisters Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis were detained at Durg Railway Station following a complaint by a Bajrang Dal activist. The complaint alleged that the nuns were transporting three tribal women for illegal religious conversion. However, two of the women later told authorities that they were Christians by birth and had not been coerced in any way.

Despite these clarifications, the police proceeded to arrest the nuns and filed a case against them, while refusing to take action against the Bajrang Dal members who had triggered the chain of events with what many claim was a fabricated allegation. This refusal has drawn widespread condemnation from religious groups, civil society, and political leaders across India.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed outrage, stating that the police's decision revealed a dangerous bias and emboldened vigilante groups.

“The Sangh Parivar agenda is being executed through state machinery. This is a direct threat to secularism,” he said in a strongly worded statement.

Christian leaders and activists have also slammed the refusal to book Bajrang Dal members. “This isn’t just about two nuns. This is about a pattern of harassment. The police’s inaction amounts to complicity,” said a representative of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), which has called for the immediate withdrawal of the case and action against those who lodged the false complaint.

Legal observers point to the bail order from the NIA Special Court in Bilaspur on August 2, which noted that the FIR was based on “mere apprehension” and lacked any substantial evidence. The court granted conditional bail to the two nuns and their associate, Sukaman Mandavi, underscoring that the accusations did not stand legal scrutiny.

In contrast, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has supported the police’s actions and justified the continued investigation, claiming that concerns about trafficking and conversion are legitimate and should not be dismissed without full inquiry.

Meanwhile, Kerala’s political spectrum, including leaders from the Congress, UDF, and Left Front, has united in demanding accountability. Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan called the police refusal to act against the Bajrang Dal “a shameful act of selective justice.”

Even as BJP leaders in Kerala attempted damage control—stating the arrests were a “misunderstanding” and pledging legal help for the nuns—questions continue to swirl about why the police, despite contradictory witness testimonies, chose not to investigate those who made the complaint.

With growing calls for an independent probe, the spotlight now turns to whether the Chhattisgarh government will reconsider its stance and initiate action against the complainants from Bajrang Dal.

As pressure builds, this case has reignited concerns over rising instances of religious vigilantism and selective law enforcement in India’s tribal belts.