Nuns to approach High Court

NEW DELHI: Two Malayali nuns, arrested in Chhattisgarh on charges of forced religious conversion and human trafficking, are likely to approach the High Court seeking dismissal of the case. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has begun consultations with legal experts on the matter. The CBCI is also considering meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request his intervention. The aim is to exert pressure on the Chhattisgarh government to cancel the FIR once the nuns file a petition in the High Court.

The nuns, Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis, who were granted bail, are currently staying at the Dalli convent in Chhattisgarh, where the church also runs schools and hospitals. Meanwhile, three girls who were with the nuns have filed an online complaint with Orchha police against 20 people, including Bajrang Dal local leader Jyoti Sharma.

The complaint alleges that they were assaulted and threatened at Durg railway station. The complainants — Kamaleshwari Pradhan, Lalitha Usendi, and Sukthi Mandavi — stated that they had accompanied the nuns out of their own free will.