Kerala nuns' arrest: Sessions court in Chhattisgarh declines bail plea, refers case to Bilaspur HC

Raipur/Thiruvananthapuram, July 30 In a setback for two Kerala-based nuns currently lodged in Durg jail, a sessions court on Wednesday declined to entertain their bail plea, directing the petitioners to approach the NIA-designated bench at the Chhattisgarh High Court in Bilaspur.

The court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the bail application in the matter, which is being probed under the provisions of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act. Despite insistence from the nuns’ counsel, the court dismissed the plea.

Just before the sessions court began its hearing, a group of Bajarang Dal activists gathered and started shouting slogans against the nuns and the way they were trying to cover up a case that, according to them, involved human trafficking and forced religious conversion.

The complainant in the case is Ravi Nigam. A battery of five lawyers represented him in court during the proceedings.

Advocate Jaiswal, present in the court, said the sessions court is not competent to hear the case and asked them to approach the High Court. As the news came, the Bajarang Dal activists, waiting outside the court, erupted in celebration.

The issue was raised in both houses of Parliament, though it was not taken up for discussion. Earlier, all MPs from Kerala staged a protest outside the parliament.

Later, Congress-led UDF MPs called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and briefed him on the matter.

Senior lawmakers, including AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal, have sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring the issue before him.

Venugopal, speaking in the Lok Sabha, said this is a burning issue in Kerala. Centre must intervene as the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister is not acting responsibly, he said.

"Spoke in Parliament demanding the immediate release of Sister Vandana and Sister Preethi belonging to the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate, who were brutally attacked by Bajrang Dal goons in Durg in Chhattisgarh and later arrested by the police without any reason. Instead of upholding the Constitution, the Chhattisgarh CM is validating the mob narrative that took the law into their own hands for their hateful agenda. The PM and Kerala BJP wax eloquent about their newfound love for Christians, but in reality, have venom in their hearts against minorities," Venugopal posted on X.

Earlier in the day, a delegation led by CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat and including MPs A.A. Rahim, K. Radhakrishnan, and Jose K. Mani visited the nuns in jail. Karat condemned the arrest, calling it a clear case of fabricated charges.

“The nuns are completely innocent. This is a targeted move against Christians. We demand their immediate release and quashing of the case,” she said.

Back in Kerala, both the ruling LDF and the Congress-led UDF launched separate protests. Senior Congress leaders, including KPCC president K. Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan, marched to the Kerala Raj Bhavan, demanding urgent action.

“This is unacceptable. These nuns are known for their humanitarian work. The Centre must act decisively,” said Satheesan.

Later in the evening, Church leaders and members of the Christian community will hold a protest march to the Raj Bhavan.

The two nuns -- Sister Preeti Mary and Sister Vandana Francis -- belong to the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate, a congregation under the Syro-Malabar Church in Alappuzha district. They had been working at a hospital in Agra.

On July 26, while accompanying three women from Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district to Agra for jobs as kitchen helpers in a convent, the nuns and a man, Sukhman Mandavi, were stopped at a Chhattisgarh railway station by Bajrang Dal activists and later taken into custody by police.

They were produced before a local court and sent to judicial custody. With the sessions court now directing the matter to the High Court, the nuns will remain in jail until further orders.

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