A special NIA court in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, has granted conditional bail to two Kerala nuns — Sisters Preethi Merry and Vandana Francis of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI) — and a tribal youth, Sukaman Mandavi, in a case involving allegations of human trafficking and forced religious conversion.
The bail comes with strict conditions: the accused must surrender their passports and submit a bond of ₹50,000 each, along with two sureties. The trio had been arrested on July 25 at Durg railway station following a complaint filed by a local Bajrang Dal member, accusing them of attempting to traffic and convert three tribal girls.
However, the defense lawyer, Amrito Das, argued that the FIR was unfounded, noting that the parents of the girls had confirmed their daughters had practiced Christianity for years. The girls were adults and were voluntarily traveling to Agra for employment, ruling out any elements of coercion or trafficking.
Previously, a Durg sessions court had dismissed the bail plea due to jurisdiction issues under the human trafficking clause of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), directing the matter to the designated NIA court.
The arrest sparked widespread protests in Kerala and drew backlash from both Church leaders and political parties, including the ruling LDF and Opposition. CPM leaders Brinda Karat and John Brittas called the case a constitutional victory and demanded action against right-wing groups like Bajrang Dal and Hindu Vahini for filing false complaints