Chhattisgarh court rejects Kerala nuns' bail pleas
The court directed the petitioners to approach the designated NIA court in Bilaspur for relief.
Nuns Preethi Merry and Vandana Francis, along with tribal youth Sukhmai Mandavi, were arrested by railway police (GRP) at Durg station on July 25 following a complaint from a Bajrang Dal functionary. The complaint accused them of attempting to forcibly convert and traffic three tribal women from Narayanpur district under the pretext of offering employment.
The sessions court said it lacked authority under Section 143 of BNS, which deals with human trafficking.
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Hindustan Times
25 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Chhattisgarh public prosecutor opposes bail plea of Kerala nuns; order reserved
RAIPUR: A Bilaspur court on Friday reserved its verdict on the bail applications of three people, including two Kerala nuns, who were arrested on charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion after the public prosecutor opposed their release, saying the probe was in its early stages. Hyderabad: Members of Christian community take part in a protest rally against the arrest of two Kerala nuns on allegations of forcible conversion and trafficking in Hyderabad on July 31 (PTI) Two Catholic nuns, Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis, along with Sukaman Mandavi, were arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Durg railway station on July 25 following a complaint by a local Bajrang Dal member. It was alleged that the three had trafficked and forcibly converted three young tribal women from Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district. Public prosecutor Dauram Chandravanshi said he opposed the bail applications, arguing that the case was still in early stages of investigation. Principal District and Sessions Judge (NIA Court) Sirajuddin Qureshi heard the bail applications and is expected to deliver his verdict on Saturday, Chandravanshi said. Lawyer Amrito Das, who appeared for the three accused, said that the three were detained based on unverified allegations. 'The prosecution has not even sought their custodial interrogation. The alleged victims are all adults, are already practising Christianity, and have been sent back home,' he said. He also pointed out that the statements of the women's parents confirmed that they had not been taken away forcibly or fraudulently. The arrest has ignited a political row, with both the Congress and the CPI(M) slamming the move. In Kerala, state party chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the two nuns were arrested due to a 'misunderstanding' and that they would be released on bail soon. Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai, however, has accused the Opposition of politicising the matter and interfering with a police investigation. The Congress's Kerala unit sent a team to Chhattisgarh to reach out to the two nuns. The team included MPs Hibi Eden and Kodikunnil Suresh, who alleged that the move to refer the case from a Durg sessions court to a designated court for National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases was a deliberate attempt to delay bail. 'There is a conspiracy behind shifting the case to the NIA court. It's intended to prolong the legal process and keep the nuns behind bars,' Suresh told reporters at Raipur airport. MP Hibi Eden also questioned the legality of the detention, which he claimed was 'unlawful and unjust' and accused Chhattisgarh's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government of targeting Christians.' To be sure, 21-year-old Kamleshwari Pradhan, who was alleged to be the victim in the trafficking case against the nuns, has alleged that she was coerced into giving a false statement against the nuns by Bajrang Dal activists. She also alleged that the police failed to properly record her version of events. According to Pradhan, her family has been practising Christianity for the last four to five years.
News18
30 minutes ago
- News18
Chhattisgarh CM slams those giving political colour to arrest of Kerala nuns
New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Friday lashed out at those giving a 'political colour" to the arrest of two Catholic nuns from Kerala on charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion, saying the matter is sub judice and the law will take its course. Nuns Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis, along with an individual named Sukaman Mandavi, were arrested by the railway police at the Durg Railway Station in Chhattisgarh on July 25 following a complaint by a local Bajrang Dal functionary who accused them of 'forcibly converting" three girls from Narayanpur and 'trafficking" them. The chief minister claimed the girls, who were promised nursing training and subsequent job placements, were 'handed over" at the railway station by a man from Narayanpur to the nuns, who were allegedly taking them to Agra. Sai said it is alleged that this was an attempt at 'human trafficking and religious conversion through inducement". 'This is a serious matter concerning the safety of women. The investigation is currently ongoing. The case is sub judice and the law will take its course," he told reporters here. The chief minister highlighted that Chhattisgarh is a peaceful state where people of all religions and communities live in harmony. 'It is extremely unfortunate that a sensitive issue related to the safety of our daughters from Bastar is being given a political colour," he said. The issue of the nuns' arrest was raised by opposition parties in the Parliament earlier this week. On Friday, a special NIA court in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur reserved its order on the bail application filed by the nuns and the other arrested person. PTI ACB ACB MPL MPL MPL view comments First Published: August 01, 2025, 18:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Chhattisgarh court reserves order on bail plea of two Kerala nuns
A special NIA court in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district on Friday (August 1, 2025) reserved its order on a bail application filed by three persons including two nuns from Kerala, arrested on the charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion. "The prosecution opposed the bail plea, submitting that the case is in its initial stage of investigation. The court has reserved its order till tomorrow (Saturday) after hearing both the parties," public prosecutor Dauram Chandravanshi told reporters. The hearing took place before Principal District and Sessions Judge (NIA court) Sirajuddin Qureshi. Nuns Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis along with Sukaman Mandavi were arrested by the railway police at the Durg railway station on July 25 following a complaint by a local Bajrang Dal functionary who accused them of forcibly converting three girls from Narayanpur and trafficking them. Defence lawyer Amrito Das said the prosecution had not asked for their custody for interrogation, and the alleged victims have been sent back to their homes. "They are all major, and have been following Christianity already, so the allegation of conversion is false," he said, citing his arguments in the court. The parents of the three women have told police that their daughters were not being taken away forcibly or fraudulently, he said. The issue of the nuns' arrest was raised by opposition parties in Parliament earlier this week. A delegation of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) from Kerala arrived in Raipur on Friday (August 1, 2025) to meet the two nun. Members of the delegation alleged that referring the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court by the Durg sessions court was a conspiracy to ensure that they did not get bail immediately.
