Two Kerala Nuns Granted Bail After Arrest in Chhattisgarh on False Trafficking Charges

Two Catholic nuns from Kerala—Sisters Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis—were released on conditional bail after being arrested in Durg, Chhattisgarh, on July 25 under allegations of human trafficking and forced religious conversion. The nuns were accompanying three adult tribal women with parental consent for employment opportunities in Agra. The arrest, based on a Bajrang Dal complaint, sparked widespread protests from Church leaders and political figures, who denounced the charges as baseless. A special court later granted bail, citing lack of evidence and affirming that the FIR was founded on suspicion rather than fact. The case has drawn national attention to the increasing hostility faced by Christian communities in India.