Durg prison authorities in Chhattisgarh assure LDF delegation from Kerala of shifting ailing nuns to district hospital
The Chhattisgarh police had arrested the nuns at the Durg railway station on July 25 after local activists of the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu right-wing organisation, mobbed them on the charge of attempting to spirit away three women, including a tribal, to Agra for 'forced conversion to Christianity'.
The police have charged the nuns under Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for trafficking and under Section 4 of the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act, 1968. The charges entail imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of not less than ₹2 lakh.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) would move the District Sessions Court in Durg to secure bail for the nuns.
Speaking to reporters outside the prison, Annie Raja, general secretary of National Federation of Indian Women and member of national secretariat of the Communist Party of India (CPI), said the nuns, given their health, found the prison conditions unbearable.
'The nuns have to sleep on the floor, despite one of them having arthritis. We have requested the authorities to provide them with beds. The nuns have no access to the medicines they consumed regularly to mitigate various chronic conditions. The sisters were inconsolable when they narrated the physical intimidation and verbal abuse they suffered at the hands of the Bajrang Dal activists as the local police meekly allowed the aggressors to conduct a kangaroo court and inquisition at the railway station and later at the local station house,' Ms. Raja said.
She said the local authorities hustled away the three women who were travelling with the nuns to Narayanpur to avoid them meeting the LDF delegation. However, the LDF delegation was able to meet Subhuman Mandav, who had accompanied the three women, at the adjacent district jail for males.
The local law enforcement had arrested Mr. Mandav, a tribal, on the charge of 'procuring vulnerable women from financially hard-pressed families in his socially backwards community' for conversion to Christianity.
Kerala Congress (M) chairperson, Jose K. Mani, MP, alleged that the police allowed the Bajrang Dal activists to assault Mr. Mandav at the station house.
Quoting Mr. Mandav, Mr. Mani alleged that the Bajrang Dal activists also coerced the three women to change their statement that they were baptised Christians and had joined the nuns on their own volition and with the explicit and written consent of their parents.
'The fear among Christians in the BJP-ruled States is palpable. Nuns and priests dare not wear their habits or meet members of their laity in Chhattisgarh,' he said.
BJP's toxic agenda: Brinda Karat
Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader Brinda Karat noted that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai had endorsed the charges against the nuns on social media by terming the incident as human trafficking and inducement for religious conversion.
'Mr Sai's words reflected the BJP's toxic agenda to relegate minorities, chiefly Christians, as subaltern citizens in India. The Chief Minister is following the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) mandate required of him. The Bajrang Dal's attempt to portray them as foreigners and proselytisers exploiting the State's backwardness for conversion hurt the sisters involved in social work deeply,' Ms. Karat said.
CPI(M)'s central committee member K. Radhakrishnan, MP, said the LDF would raise the issue in Lok Sabha again after the Speaker rejected the Opposition's notice for an adjournment debate. CPI(M) leader A.A. Rahim was part of the Left delegation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Print
19 minutes ago
- The Print
Yavat in Pune witnesses mob violence, arson over Whatsapp post; youth booked
There is heavy police presence in the village at the moment and peace and order has been restored, these officials said. A motorcycle was set ablaze and a bakery was damaged, the officials said, adding teargas shells had to be lobbed to bring the situation under control amid large mobs taking to the streets to vent their ire. Pune, Aug 1 (PTI) An irate mob vandalised properties and indulged in arson in Yavat in Pune's Daund tehsil on Friday afternoon over an objectionable post allegedly uploaded on social media by a youth from a different community, police officials said. The youth, who hails from outside the village, had kept an objectionable Whatsapp post, and he has been detained, Sandip Singh Gill, Superintendent of Police (Pune Rural), told PTI. 'On being alerted, we detained the youth. However, by then the post went viral, leading to trouble in the village already tense due to some previous incidents. The mob vandalised structures belonging to members of the opposite community hailing from outside,' Gill said. A Yavat police station official said a youth had allegedly desecrated the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on July 26, which had angered residents. 'Though there was some tension in the locality, the situation was under control since the person who committed the act was arrested at the time. Even a Hindu Jan Akrosh morcha held in Yavat on Thursday went off peacefully,' he said. 'The objectionable post by a youth now sparked off fresh tension. Mobs hit the streets and resorted to the vandalism, targeting makeshift religious structures, houses, shops and vehicles of the opposite community, who are basically not natives of the village and have come from outside to earn their livelihoods,' he added. To bring the situation under control, police resorted to lathi charge and lobbing of teargas shells, the official said. 'The youth behind the Whatsapp post has been booked. The process to register cases in connection with vandalism is underway. Some 1000 people scattered at three to four places indulged in vandalism,' the Yavat police station official informed. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was in Pune to attend an event, said a youth, who hails from outside, had put up an objectionable post about a Hindu priest raping someone, which angered residents. 'To disperse the mob, police had to resort to lathi charge. The situation in Yavat is now under control and peace prevails. People from both communities are together and efforts are on to defuse tensions. Some persons keep such objectionable posts just to create tension. Strict action will be taken against them. No one has the right to post objectionable content,' the CM said. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who visited the site, said the youth who allegedly uploaded the objectionable Whatsapp post hails from Nanded and is a daily wage labourer. 'He put out an objectionable post related to an incident that took place in Madhya Pradesh. This angered locals and they resorted to vandalism. The situation is now under control and police are maintaining a close watch. No one should spread rumours or misinformation,' Pawar said. PTI SPK BNM This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
UP cop's lynching: 5 sentenced to life, 33 get 7 yrs in jail
Meerut: Seven years after UP police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a teenager were killed during violent clashes over claims of cow carcasses being found in Siyana area of Bulandshahr in 2018, the court of additional district and sessions judge (12), while pronouncing the quantum of punishment on Friday, sentenced five men to life imprisonment and 33 others to seven years in jail. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Special counsel Yashpal Singh Raghav said five men -- Prashant Nat, David, Rahul Kumar, Jhonny and Lokendra Mama -- were found guilty under IPC section 302 (murder) and given life term along with a fine of Rs 20,000 each. "Others, including Yogesh Raj, a panchayat member and then Bulandshahr convenor of Bajrang Dal, were convicted under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 147, 148 (rioting), 504, 506 (criminal intimidation), 332, 353 (assault on a public servant), and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, and given seven years of jail term," said Raghav. A BJP worker (now expelled), Sachin Ahlawat, was among those convicted. A separate case involving a juvenile is being heard in a special court, Raghav added. The incident dates back to Dec 3, 2018, when cow carcasses were allegedly found in Mahaw village. The discovery sparked outrage, especially among some groups, and a mob — incited by Yogesh Raj — marched to Chingrawathi police outpost, pelting stones and setting it on fire. As police tried to control the crowd, officer Singh was fatally shot. A young villager, Sumit, also died in the melee. Recalling the sensitivity of the case, former DGP of UP and then ADG of the Meerut zone, Prashant Kumar, said inspector Singh was shot while trying to control the violent mob. "The situation back then had the potential to escalate into larger communal unrest, especially with a massive Tablighi Jamaat gathering just a few kms away in Daryapur. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It was a challenging time for us to contain the unrest and prevent it from spreading beyond Siyana. It is indeed a matter of great professional satisfaction. This is a landmark judgment that will play a crucial role in curbing the kind of aggression witnessed in Siyana in 2018," Kumar told TOI on Friday. Despite the grave nature of the incident, Singh's service pistol was never recovered. The govt counsel revealed that accused Prashant Nat confessed to using the inspector's weapon and later dumping it in a canal. However, recovery efforts failed. Originally, cases were registered against 60 persons, 27 of whom were named. But by the time police filed the final chargesheet on March 1, 2019, only 44 accused remained. Five of them later died, one minor was released and 38 stood trial. The defence, led by lawyer Ashok Dagar, expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment, announcing plans to challenge the verdict in Allahabad High Court. Talking to TOI, Shreya Singh, son of inspector Singh, said, "We are satisfied with the court order. In case the accused take up the matter in HC, we will pursue it there too and ensure they remain behind bars." According to police, four of the convicts remain in jail, while others were out on bail during the course of the trial. During Friday's sentencing, tight security was deployed around the court premises given the sensitivity and high-profile nature of the case.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Meghalaya's Conrad Sangma Calls For Release of Arrested Kerala Nuns
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma wrote to his Chhattisgarh counterpart Vishnudeo Sai, urging for the immediate release of two Kerala nuns who were arrested on allegations of religious conversion and trafficking of three girls. Mr Sangma called for a fair and impartial investigation and called Sisters Preeti Mary and Vandana Francis' arrest "shocking" and "over unfounded allegations of human trafficking". "Religious persecution of any kind has no place in a democratic and secular nation like India. Such baseless accusations not only endanger the lives and freedoms of innocent individuals but also reflect a worrying pattern of religious targeting," the Chief Minister wrote. He urged his Chhattisgarh counterpart to withdraw the allegedly false case, and safeguard the rights of minorities. "Justice must prevail. Intolerance must not," he added. The two nuns, along with another person Sukhman Mandavi, were arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Durg railway station in Chhattisgarh on July 25 following a complaint by a local Bajrang Dal functionary. The nuns have been booked under Section 4 of the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968 (forced conversion) and Section 143 of the BNS (trafficking). Mr Sangma added that the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking their intervention in the matter. Catholic Christians in Meghalaya have also submitted petitions to the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister demanding justice for the detained nuns. As nationwide protests continue against the arrest of two Kerala nuns, one of the three rescued girls has claimed that she was travelling with them on her own will and was assaulted by Bajrang Dal members. She said she was travelling to Agra on her own will to work as a cook.
