he arrest of two Catholic nuns from Kerala, Sisters Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis, along with tribal man Sukaman Mandavi, in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district on charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion has sparked outrage across the country. Critics, including human rights activists and opposition leaders, have called the case politically motivated and an example of the increasing misuse of anti-conversion laws to target minorities.
The arrests took place on July 25 at Durg Railway Station, based on a complaint by a local Bajrang Dal functionary. The three accused were reportedly receiving three tribal women from Narayanpur, who were travelling for job training opportunities arranged by a convent. Despite the women's own testimonies, which claim no coercion or trafficking was involved, the police arrested all three under serious charges.
One of the tribal women, Kamleshwari Pradhan, gave a recorded statement saying they were on their way for nursing training and had not been coerced. “The nuns were helping us find work. We were not being converted. We are already Christians,” she said. She further alleged that Bajrang Dal members physically assaulted them at the station before the police intervened.
The defence team has argued that the allegations are entirely baseless. Advocate Amrito Das told the court that the women are all legal adults and have long been practising Christianity. “This is a clear attempt to intimidate and criminalise service-based outreach in tribal communities,” he said. He also noted that police had not even requested custodial interrogation, suggesting a lack of substantive evidence.
Despite this, the case has been escalated to a special NIA (National Investigation Agency) court in Bilaspur, a move many see as politically motivated to delay bail and give the case undue national importance. The court reserved its order on the bail plea until Saturday.
The arrests have ignited strong reactions in Kerala, with church groups and political parties condemning the move. The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church led protests in Kottayam, calling the arrests a “grave injustice.” Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Mathews III stated, “These nuns were serving society. This is an attack on religious freedom and a misuse of law.”
Political parties on the Left have sharply criticised the ruling BJP government in Chhattisgarh. CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat described the arrests as a “manufactured case” and accused the government of using legal institutions to advance a communal agenda. A Congress delegation from Kerala also arrived in Raipur on Friday to meet the nuns, alleging that the NIA referral was part of a larger conspiracy to delay their release.
What has further deepened the controversy is the BJP’s contrasting stance in Chhattisgarh and Kerala. While the Chhattisgarh BJP leadership, including Home Minister Vijay Sharma, has defended the arrests and proposed stricter anti-conversion laws, the Kerala BJP has taken a softer line. State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar refrained from supporting the arrests and instead criticised the Congress and Left for "politicising the issue,” in a clear attempt to avoid alienating Christian voters ahead of elections.
Opposition leaders say this double standard reveals the BJP’s opportunistic approach to communal politics — taking a hardline Hindutva stance in tribal-dominated areas, while playing a secular card in Christian-majority constituencies. Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel said, “What’s happening in Durg is pure harassment. And in Kerala, the same party pretends to be secular. The hypocrisy is plain.”
Civil society groups have also raised concerns about the increasing criminalisation of minority-led social service efforts, particularly those involving Adivasi and Dalit communities. “Helping a tribal girl get a nursing job has now become a national security issue. This is not law enforcement — this is ideological warfare,” said Anjali Bhardwaj, human rights activist.
The bail decision, expected Saturday, could prove pivotal — not only for the three individuals detained but also in defining the limits of India’s anti-conversion laws and the state’s role in protecting or persecuting religious minorities. For now, the three continue to remain in custody, awaiting relief in a case that many say should never have been filed in the first place.