Raipur: The Archdiocese of Raipur has vowed to continue the legal battle to quash the case filed against two Keralite Catholic nuns arrested in Chhattisgarh on serious charges including human trafficking and forced religious conversion. Speaking to the media, Archdiocesan spokesperson Fr. Sebastian Poomattom came down heavily on what he described as a politically motivated attempt to criminalize the missionary activities of the Church.
Fr. Poomattom stated that the case was clearly fabricated and that law enforcement, allegedly under pressure from certain political groups, inserted penal sections into the FIR without proper investigation. “This is nothing but a misuse of power and a travesty of justice,” he said, adding that further legal steps will be taken after consultations with lawyers.
"The police and affiliated party members acted in haste. There was no investigation. The nuns were arrested abruptly, jailed, and now must endure a judicial process for a crime they never committed,” Fr. Poomattom asserted. He pointed out that the FIR lacked merit and was riddled with inconsistencies, suggesting that it was crafted more to appease political agendas than to seek truth.
According to the Church, the sections invoked in the case are disproportionate and deliberately chosen to keep the nuns entangled in prolonged legal entrapments. “This is not just about two women in religious habit it’s about the right to serve and practice faith freely in India,” Fr. Poomattom emphasized.
Pointing a finger directly at right-wing fringe elements, the spokesperson alleged that the Bajrang Dal has long been involved in targeting Christian missionaries and institutions under the pretext of nationalism. “This kind of persecution dates back to the late 1990s, especially after the Vajpayee government assumed power. What we are witnessing now is a continuation of that divisive legacy,” he said.
Fr. Poomattom also made it clear that the Archdiocese does not support or affiliate itself with any political party and that its mission remains purely pastoral and service-oriented.
On Saturday, a special NIA court in Bilaspur granted conditional bail to the arrested nuns Sister Vandana Francis and Sister Preeti Mary both belonging to the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate. The conditions imposed by the court remain stringent, but the Church sees the bail as a first step in a longer legal journey aimed at full acquittal and restoration of dignity.
The Archdiocese is expected to soon file a petition seeking to quash the FIR entirely, arguing that the case is not only legally unsustainable but also morally indefensible.
Beyond legal proceedings, the case has ignited outrage among Christian communities nationwide, who view this as yet another chapter in the ongoing harassment of minorities under the guise of national interest. As the Archdiocese of Raipur gears up for a protracted legal fight, the broader question looms larger: Can India's secular fabric withstand these repeated assaults on religious freedom?
For now, the battle for justice continues not just for two Keralite nuns, but for every voice that dares to speak faith in a climate of fear.