Catholic Nuns Arrested In Chhattisgarh Over Conversion And Human Trafficking Allegations; Spotted By Bajrang Dal Activists

A political storm has erupted in Chhattisgarh after the Durg Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested three individuals including two Catholic nuns from Kerala on charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion, reported The New Indian Express.

The nuns, Sisters Preeti Marry and Vandana Francis of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate, were remanded to judicial custody till 8 August under BNS Section 143 (trafficking).

A police officer in Durg stated, “The three girls hailed from Narayanpur district (south Bastar)—two from Orchha block and one from Narayanpur town. During the preliminary investigation, we found all of them were being taken to Agra. A case has been registered against two nuns and a person from Narayanpur who accompanied them. We have informed the parents of the girls who have been temporarily shifted to Sakhi One Stop Centre in Durg.”

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai stated on X, “Three daughters of Narayanpur were promised nursing training and later jobs. It’s an attempt to convert people through human trafficking by allurement.”

Bajrang Dal activists, who spotted the group at the station, staged demonstrations demanding strict action. Christian groups condemned the arrests, calling them religiously motivated. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) claimed the nuns had written parental consent and vowed to escalate the matter.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged the nuns were “targeted for their faith.” CM Sai, calling for restraint, said, “There will be zero tolerance for negligence in such cases.”

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