Raipur
Two Catholic nuns from Kerala were arrested in Durg, Chhattisgarh, on charges of religious conversion and human trafficking, sparking protests by opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) outside Parliament in Delhi on Monday.
The arrests prompted immediate condemnation from opposition leaders. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, stated on social media platform ‘X‘, “Two Catholic nuns in Chhattisgarh have been targeted and jailed for their faith. This is not justice, but the mob rule of BJP-RSS. This reflects a dangerous pattern of systematic persecution of minorities under BJP rule. UDF MPs have protested in Parliament, and we will not stay silent. Religious freedom is a constitutional right. We demand the immediate release of the nuns and accountability for this injustice.”
United Democratic Front (UDF) MPs staged a protest within the Parliament complex on Monday against the arrests.
The two missionary sisters are currently being questioned at the Durg GRP outpost of Bhilai Police Station-3.
Congress MP KC Venugopal confirmed that letters have been sent to the Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh regarding the nuns’ detention. “They are from Kerala and were working in Chhattisgarh. They were lawfully taking three young women for employment, but the Chhattisgarh government and Bajrang Dal alleged it was a case of trafficking and that they were taking the young women for conversion. This was completely false,” Venugopal said.
He added, “The nuns informed the police that they were taking them legally and had permission from their parents, but the police did not listen. Atrocities against minorities are increasing day by day in BJP-ruled states.”
Priyanka Gandhi also condemned the arrests, writing on ‘X‘, “I condemn the incident at Durg Railway Station in Chhattisgarh on 25 July. Two Christian nuns – Sister Vandana and Sister Preeti – were detained without any legal basis, facing false accusations of conversion and human trafficking. This is a serious attack on minority rights. This is not an isolated incident; under BJP rule, minorities are systematically harassed and defamed. Mob justice and communal targeting have no place in our democracy. The rule of law must prevail.”
Chhattisgarh Congress president Deepak Baij urged the government to conduct an impartial investigation into the matter and make the entire process public, alleging that the BJP government is politicising religious conversion.
The arrests occurred on 25 July at Durg Railway Station, where Bajrang Dal members created an uproar over alleged religious conversion and human trafficking. The two missionary sisters, identified as Sister Preeti and Sister Vandana, along with a man named Sukhman Mandavi, are accused of attempting to take three tribal girls – Kamleshwari, Lalita, and Sukhmati – to Agra, Uttar Pradesh, under the pretext of providing employment, with alleged intentions of selling them or converting them. The matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Durg GRP outpost of Bhilai Police Station-3.
According to reports, a priest’s number and photographs of seven minor girls, along with some documents, were allegedly found with the arrested missionary sisters and the man. The three girls have been placed in the Bhilai Sakhia Centre, while the two missionary sisters and the man remain in GRP custody.
On Friday morning at 8:30 am, Bajrang Dal activists observed the two missionary sisters and the man with the three girls at the railway station. They noticed one girl crying, and overheard the man telling her that since she had come this far, she would have to go. This raised suspicions among the activists, who then questioned the group. They discovered that the missionary sisters and the man were taking the girls to Agra.
The activists then created a commotion at the station, accusing the group of human trafficking and religious conversion. The three girls, the two nuns, and the man were subsequently apprehended by the GRP and taken to the police station for questioning.
Following the arrests, Bajrang Dal activists gathered at the Durg Railway Station GRP outpost, raising slogans and protesting. Ravi Nigam, Durg convenor of Bajrang Dal, and Jyoti Sharma, state convenor of Bajrang Dal, were informed and arrived at the scene. Jyoti Sharma accused the missionary sisters of misleading the girls with job offers to sell them or convert them, asserting that the case was not merely about employment but linked to human trafficking and religious conversion.
Sharma claimed that three Aadhaar cards were found with the arrested man. She also stated that a diary found with the missionary sisters and the man contained names of several states, numbers of priests, and photos of 8–10 girls, raising suspicions of further trafficking.
Meanwhile, the families of the three girls from Narayanpur district arrived in Durg on Sunday to take them back. After completing necessary formalities at the GRP police station, the families are awaiting the girls’ release.
Budhiya Pradhan, mother of Kamleshwari Pradhan, stated, “We sent our daughter ourselves, so she could stand on her own feet.”
However, Awas Lal Dhanelia, Kamleshwari Pradhan’s brother-in-law, said, “I told them not to trust anyone and send her like this, but no one listened to me. I received a call from Kukrajhar police station, and I asked them about the girls’ return. We do not want to send the girls anywhere.”
Robinson, Station House Officer of Orchha Police Station in Narayanpur, confirmed that the families were called to the police station. The families stated that the girls had gone for work but did not know with whom. No missing person report was filed by the families.
