Kerala nuns’ arrest: CBCI welcomes bail, calls for quashing of case

Thiruvananthapuram: The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) on Saturday welcomed the bail granted to two Kerala-based nuns who were arrested in Chhattisgarh on charges of human trafficking and forced conversion. Leaders from across the political spectrum also expressed their relief and support following the court’s decision. 

Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Thrissur, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), expressed relief over the bail but urged that the case be quashed altogether, calling the charges “baseless.” "The government should take necessary steps to end this injustice at the earliest," he told reporters in Thrissur.

A special NIA court in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, granted conditional bail to the two nuns, Preethi Merry and Vandana Francis, along with Sukaman Mandavi. The three were arrested on July 25 at Durg railway station after a Bajrang Dal functionary alleged they were forcibly converting three girls from Narayanpur and trafficking them. 

As soon as the verdict was announced, the family members of the nuns hugged public representatives in relief outside Durg jail. The siblings of Sister Preethi and Sister Vandana shared emotional moments of comfort. Representatives from the UDF, Left Front, and BJP expressed happiness after hearing the verdict in Durg. Sweets were distributed outside the jail. 

Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan also welcomed the court's decision, calling the case against the nuns “false and fabricated.” Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, he pointed out that the prosecution had opposed the bail plea but did not seek their custodial interrogation.

“At the same time, Bajrang Dal lawyers strongly opposed any bail. This proves that the BJP’s state and national leadership had no control over its affiliates or the Chhattisgarh government,” he alleged.

Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty described the court’s decision as “heartening”, but criticised what he called the clear political agenda behind the arrest. In a Facebook post, he accused the BJP of double standards, turning a blind eye to attacks on minorities in its own-ruled states while posturing as their protectors in Kerala. He urged a united stand against what he termed attempts to erode the religious and personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.