On July 25, 2025, the arrest of two Catholic nuns, Sisters Preeti Mary and Vandana Francis, along with a tribal youth, Sukaman Mandavi, at Durg Railway Station in Chhattisgarh sparked a nationwide controversy that has reverberated across political, religious, and social spheres. The trio was detained on allegations of human trafficking and forced religious conversion, charges that have ignited protests, exposed political fault lines, and raised questions about religious freedom and minority rights in India. As the dust settles with the recent granting of conditional bail, this article explores the multifaceted dimensions of the case, from the events leading to the arrests to the broader implications for India’s socio-political landscape.
The Incident: A Complaint Sparks a Storm
The arrests stemmed from a complaint lodged by a local Bajrang Dal functionary, who alleged that the nuns and Mandavi were forcibly converting three young women from the tribal-dominated Narayanpur district and trafficking them to Agra. The nuns, belonging to the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI) based in Cherthala, Kerala, were at Durg Railway Station to receive the women, who were reportedly traveling to Agra for employment at Fatima Hospital as kitchen helpers or for nursing training, with salaries promised between ₹8,000 and ₹10,000. The women, aged 18–19, were accompanied by Mandavi, a member of their community, and had consent letters from their parents, according to church sources.
The situation escalated when a train ticket examiner (TTE) questioned the group for lacking platform tickets, subsequently alerting Bajrang Dal members instead of railway authorities. A mob, led by Jyoti Sharma, a self-described “Hindutvawadi” associated with Durga Vahini Matrushakti, confronted the group, allegedly assaulting the nuns and the women in the presence of the Government Railway Police (GRP). The police, acting on the Bajrang Dal’s complaint, arrested the nuns and Mandavi under sections of the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. The FIR claimed the trio was involved in “inducement and trafficking” for religious conversion, a charge the accused and their supporters vehemently deny.
A Twist in the Narrative: Coercion Allegations
A significant development emerged when one of the three women, a 21-year-old tribal from Narayanpur, told news agencies that she was coerced by Sharma to give a false statement against the nuns. The woman, who returned home after five days in a shelter home, claimed she was assaulted by Sharma and that the police based their FIR solely on the Bajrang Dal’s account, ignoring her statement. She asserted that she and the other women were traveling voluntarily, with parental consent, for job opportunities, not conversion. “Please release all three, they are innocent,” she pleaded, adding that the nuns had protected her during the assault, saying, “Hit us, but not them.”
This revelation has cast doubts on the credibility of the initial complaint and raised concerns about the role of vigilante groups in influencing law enforcement. Critics argue that the incident reflects a broader pattern of misuse of anti-conversion laws to target religious minorities, particularly Christians, in BJP-ruled states.
Political Fallout: A Rift Within the BJP
The arrests have exposed a rift within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with its Chhattisgarh and Kerala units adopting contrasting stances. In Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai defended the arrests, describing the case as a “serious trafficking bid” and emphasizing the state’s commitment to curbing illegal conversions in tribal areas. The state BJP has maintained that the arrests were based on “actionable tipoffs” and has proposed stricter legal provisions to address alleged “systematic conversion activities.”
In contrast, the Kerala BJP, mindful of the state’s significant Christian population (18–19% as per the 2011 census), has adopted a conciliatory approach to mitigate political damage ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar called the incident a “misunderstanding” and announced on August 1 that the Chhattisgarh government would not oppose the nuns’ bail applications. A delegation led by Anoop Antony, the party’s Christian face in Kerala, was sent to Raipur to engage with Chhattisgarh leaders, signaling efforts to appease the Christian electorate. Chandrasekhar also met with Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) to assure a fair resolution.
The BJP’s central leadership, caught between these regional dynamics, has yet to issue a unified statement, reflecting the delicate balancing act between its tribal vote base in Chhattisgarh and its outreach to Christians in Kerala.
Protests and Church Response: A Cry for Justice
The arrests triggered widespread protests in Kerala, Delhi, and beyond, with Christian institutions and political groups condemning the incident as an attack on religious freedom. The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, and other Christian bodies organized rallies in Kottayam, Thrissur, and Kochi, demanding the nuns’ immediate release. The CBCI and Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) labeled the charges “false and baseless,” asserting that the women were adults traveling voluntarily with parental consent. Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Bava led a silent protest march to Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, symbolizing the “silencing” of Christian religious personnel.
In Delhi, MPs from Kerala’s Left Democratic Front (LDF) and United Democratic Front (UDF) staged protests outside Parliament, accusing the BJP of minority persecution. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the arrests a “grave attack on minority rights,” while CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, who met the nuns in Durg Central Jail, described their detention as “unconstitutional and illegal.” Karat highlighted the nuns’ poor health, noting that one suffers from arthritis and another from diabetes, and criticized the prison conditions, including lack of access to medicines and beds.
Legal Proceedings: A Prolonged Battle
The legal process has been contentious. On July 30, a Durg sessions court disposed of the bail applications, citing lack of jurisdiction under Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for human trafficking, and referred the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Bilaspur. The nuns’ lawyer, Amrito Das, argued that the FIR was based on “mere suspicion” without a preliminary inquiry and that the alleged victims, all adults, had not complained of trafficking or conversion. The defense also pointed out that the prosecution did not seek police custody, and the women were sent back to their homes.
On August 2, a special NIA court in Bilaspur granted conditional bail to the nuns and Mandavi, with stipulations including surrendering passports and not influencing witnesses. The court observed that there was no need to keep them in custody, marking a significant victory for the defense. However, the case remains under investigation, and the nuns’ legal team is considering approaching the high court to quash the FIR, citing procedural lapses and external pressure on the police.
Broader Implications: Religious Freedom Under Scrutiny
The Durg incident has reignited debates about the misuse of anti-conversion laws and the role of vigilante groups in BJP-ruled states. Critics, including the Citizens for the Constitution (CFTC) and the United Christian Forum, argue that such laws are increasingly used to target Christians under the guise of preventing forced conversions. The CBCI and KCBC have called for intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, warning that “mob rule cannot override constitutional rights.”
The case also highlights the vulnerability of tribal communities, often caught in the crossfire of religious and political agendas. The women’s families and church leaders maintain that the job opportunities offered were legitimate efforts to empower economically disadvantaged individuals, not attempts at conversion. The allegations of coercion by Bajrang Dal members further underscore concerns about extrajudicial interference in legal processes.
Conclusion: A Test for India’s Pluralism
The arrest of Sisters Preeti Mary and Vandana Francis has transcended a local incident to become a litmus test for India’s commitment to religious freedom and minority rights. While the conditional bail offers temporary relief, the case continues to expose deep-seated tensions between regional politics, religious identities, and constitutional guarantees. As protests persist and legal battles loom, the nation watches closely to see whether justice will prevail or if the incident will further strain India’s pluralistic fabric.
The BJP faces a delicate task of reconciling its divergent regional strategies, while the Church and civil society demand accountability for what they see as a targeted attack on minorities. For now, the nuns are free, but the scars of this episode linger, reminding India of the fragile balance between faith, politics, and justice.
Sources: The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, The Hindu, News18, NDTV.