Police face backlash for double standards as tribal girls’ complaint against Bajrang Dal is ignored while swift action was taken against Christian nuns.
New Delhi: A glaring disparity in the response of Chhattisgarh Police has sparked widespread criticism, as questions are raised over the selective urgency shown in handling two serious incidents. While police acted with remarkable speed in arresting a group of nuns on charges of alleged forced conversion, the same urgency was notably absent when three tribal girls filed a complaint against Bajrang Dal members including allegations of rape threats and coercion.
The complaint, lodged by the girls after the nuns were granted bail, names Bajrang Dal leader Jyoti Sharma and others for threatening and intimidating them into giving statements against the arrested nuns. Despite the gravity of the accusations, police action remains stalled more than 24 hours after the complaint was filed in stark contrast to the swift invocation of stringent sections such as human trafficking and forced religious conversion during the arrest of the nuns.
The girls, all from tribal communities, say they were subjected to intense pressure to falsely testify against the nuns. CPI Narayanpur District Assistant Secretary Phool Singh revealed that the victims had to shuttle between five police stations in a desperate attempt to get their complaint registered. Their first stop was the SC/ST police station, which redirected them to the SP’s office, refusing to accept their complaint outright.
"This is a case of institutional apathy and targeted harassment," Phool Singh said. "If the police continue to ignore our plea, we will be forced to seek justice through the courts."
The incident is being viewed by human rights activists and opposition leaders as a disturbing example of how law enforcement is being selectively weaponized. The silence over rape threats and intimidation against tribal girls stands in sharp contrast to the aggressive posture adopted against the Christian nuns a trend that critics claim reflects the growing normalization of state-backed communal bias.
The victims’ unresolved complaint has added fuel to a broader debate around the weaponization of anti-conversion laws, the erosion of minority rights, and the rising power of vigilante groups in India’s heartland. As pressure mounts on the Chhattisgarh government to ensure equal justice, all eyes are now on whether the police will uphold the rule of law or continue to shield those aligned with majoritarian ideology.