Nuns’ Arrest Sparks Conspiracy Claims in Chhattisgarh

A delegation of Kerala Congress MPs, including Hibi Eden and Kodikunnil Suresh, arrived in Raipur on Friday to support two nuns, Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis, arrested in Chhattisgarh on July 25 for alleged human trafficking and forced religious conversion. The nuns, along with Sukhman Mandavi, were detained at Durg railway station following a Bajrang Dal complaint accusing them of trafficking and converting three tribal women from Narayanpur.

The MPs alleged a conspiracy after a Durg sessions court referred the case to an NIA court, claiming it was a deliberate move to delay bail. “This is a tactic to prolong their detention,” Suresh told PTI Videos, highlighting ongoing protests in Kerala. Eden called the arrests “unlawful” and accused the BJP of targeting missionaries in states it governs, citing restrictions on Christian activities in some northern states.

The case has ignited a political firestorm, with Congress and CPI(M) condemning the arrests, while Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai accused the opposition of politicizing the issue. A 21-year-old alleged victim, Kamleshwari Pradhan, claimed Bajrang Dal activists coerced her into giving a false statement, a charge the group denies. She also alleged police mishandled her statement. The Congress delegation, which met the nuns in Durg jail, has urged the central government to intervene, having raised the issue with the Home Minister and Prime Minister.

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