A special court in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, on Saturday granted conditional bail to three individuals, including two Catholic nuns from Kerala, arrested in a case involving allegations of human trafficking and forced religious conversion. The accused—Preethi Merry and Vandana Francis from Kerala, and Sukaman Mandavi—were arrested at Durg railway station on July 25, based on a complaint filed by a local Bajrang Dal functionary who alleged they were trafficking three girls from Narayanpur for the purpose of conversion.
The order was delivered by Principal District and Sessions Judge Sirajuddin Qureshi of the NIA court, who had reserved the decision after hearing arguments on Friday. Defence lawyer Amrito Das confirmed the grant of conditional bail and noted that the prosecution did not seek custodial interrogation of the accused. Additionally, the girls allegedly involved in the case have been sent back to their respective homes, further weakening the grounds for continued detention.
The case has stirred political and communal tensions in the region, drawing sharp reactions from both religious and activist circles. The legal battle is expected to continue as the investigation progresses.
