Kerala nuns held in Chhattisgarh for alleged religious conversion, bishops' group calls case ‘false'
The nuns – Preeti Mary and Vandana Francis – are members of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate, a congregation under the Syro-Malabar Church in Alappuzha district's Cherthala town and were working at a hospital in Agra, Mathrubhumi reported.
The two nuns and the man, identified as Sukhman Mandavi, were accompanying three women from Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district.
Sebastian Poomattam, vicar general of the Raipur Archdiocese, told The News Minute that the nuns were taking the women to Agra where they had been offered jobs of kitchen helpers at a convent.
'They had the consent letters from their parents and were all above 18 years of age,' he added.
While at the railway station, a ticket examiner questioned the group on the platform.
'The girls and one man entered the platform where the nuns were waiting,' The News Minute quoted Poomattam as saying. 'The examiner asked about their tickets, and they said the nuns had them.'
The vicar general claimed that the examiner informed members of the Hindutva group Bajrang Dal about the situation and that the outfit's members 'arrived in large numbers within minutes'.
The police detained the nuns, the man and the three women.
The Bajrang Dal vigilantes protested at the police station and demanded the registration of a first information report against the nuns, The News Minute reported.
The nuns and Mandavi were remanded to judicial custody till August 8. They were charged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to human trafficking and sections of Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act.
The three women were taken to a government-run shelter home.
Unidentified police officers told the Hindustan Times that the nuns were allegedly taking the women to Agra with the promise of 'good facilities and a monthly salary of Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000'.
The police had reached the railway station based on a tip-off from members of the Bajrang Dal, the officers were quoted as having said.
'When questioned, the women said that initially they were told they would be offered jobs within Chhattisgarh, but when they reached Durg, they were told that the nuns had come to take them to Agra,' the newspaper quoted the officers as saying.
Commenting on the incident, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India alleged that a ' false ' case had been filed against the nuns under the influence of Hindutva groups, Onmanorama reported.
The bishops' conference sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the matter.
Kerala CM seeks PM's intervention
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday also sought Modi's intervention in ensuring justice to the two nuns, PTI reported.
In a letter to the prime minister, the chief minister said that Mary and Francis were arrested when they had gone to receive women who were coming to work in their convent.
Family members of the two nuns have claimed that they had not been able to communicate with them after they were taken into custody, he added.
Vijayan requested the prime minister to intervene in the matter and ensure transparent and fair proceedings, PTI reported.
Alappuzha MP KC Venugopal said on Sunday that attacks on minorities had seen 'a rampant increase under BJP-ruled states, be it Chhattisgarh, Odisha or MP [Madhya Pradesh]'.
The Congress leader said that he had written to the Union home ministry and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai demanding strict punishment against the culprits and the urgent need to uphold the Constitution 'so that fundamental rights of minorities are not threatened under their rule'.
'The latest attacks by Bajrang Dal goons on 2 Catholic nuns in Durg, Chhattisgarh point to a tacit support for such hate crimes from the ruling establishment,' Venugopal said on social media.
In his letter to the home ministry and the Chhattisgarh chief minister, Venugopal said that it was 'deeply disturbing that self proclaimed vigilantes can instigate communal tension and make baseless accusations of conversion and trafficking without any legal foundation'.
He added: 'Despite clear documentation and parental consent, the authorities have chosen to keep the nuns and the man in custody, reportedly under political pressure.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Delhi HC denies bail to DHFL promoter Kapil Wadhawan in bank fraud case
New Delhi: The Delhi high court denied bail on Monday to DHFL promoter Kapil Wadhawan in an alleged Rs 34,926-crore bank fraud case, noting that his "conduct during custody was not beyond reproach". Justice Ravinder Dudeja rejected his bail plea, saying such economic offences were not only crimes against specific victims but against the financial system at large. The CBI alleged Wadhawan, as promoter and CMD of DHFL, was the principal architect of a massive financial fraud involving diversion and misappropriation of approximately Rs 34,926 crore from a consortium of 17 banks. "The allegations regarding manipulation of valuable assets and transactions carried out during judicial custody are grave and suggest that the applicant continues to exercise significant control and influence," the HC observed. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai It noted CBI's submission that Wadhawan was facing multiple investigations and cases across jurisdictions involving serious financial offences, which undermined his argument that he posed no risk if enlarged on bail. "The court cannot permit the release of a person who is prima facie the mastermind of a deep-rooted financial fraud, especially when the trial is at a nascent stage," it concluded, noting that if released on bail he might tamper with evidence or, worse, flee from justice. "Many of the witnesses in this case are stated to be either ex-employees or associates of DHFL and, as such, there is a high risk and possibility that the petitioner might try to influence witnesses," it said. Wadhawan is accused of creating and operating 87 shell companies in the names of associates, employees, and relatives to siphon off funds, falsely recorded as retail housing loans to over 2.6 lakh fictitious customers through a non-existent "Bandra Branch-001" in DHFL's internal systems. He was taken into custody in the case on July 19, 2022, and granted default statutory bail on Dec 3, 2022, but the Supreme Court cancelled his bail on Jan 24, 2024. The court observed his "effective custody" was two years, and not four years as claimed. "Having regard to the nature and seriousness of the allegations, the gravity of the offence, the applicant's central role in the conspiracy, the potential adverse impact of his release on the trial, and the huge magnitude of the funds siphoned off, this court finds no merit in the present application," the order held.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
HC denies bail to DHFL's Wadhawan in Rs 34,926-crore bank fraud case
. NEW DELHI: Delhi HC Monday denied bail to DHFL promoter Kapil Wadhawan in the alleged Rs 34,926-crore bank fraud case, observing that his "conduct during custody was not beyond reproach". Justice Ravinder Dudeja rejected the plea, calling the alleged offence a crime not just against specific victims but against the financial system itself. CBI has accused Wadhawan, as DHFL promoter and CMD, of being the mastermind of a massive fraud involving misappropriation and diversion of Rs 34,926 crore from a consortium of 17 banks. HC noted that Wadhawan allegedly manipulated valuable assets and transactions even during judicial custody, indicating continued control and influence. CBI also submitted that Wadhawan is facing multiple cases in different jurisdictions, which weakens his claim that he poses no risk if granted bail. "The court cannot permit the release of a person who is prima facie the mastermind of a deep-rooted financial fraud, especially when the trial is at a nascent stage," HC said, adding there was a strong possibility of him tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses - many of whom are former DHFL employees or associates. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Were So Beautiful Before; Now Look At Them; Number 10 Will Shock You Reportingly Undo Wadhawan is accused of operating 87 shell companies in the names of relatives and employees to siphon off funds, falsely recorded as housing loans to over 2.6 lakh fictitious customers via a non-existent "Bandra Bra-nch-001" in DHFL's systems. He was taken into custody on July 19, 2022, and granted statutory bail in December, which SC later cancelled in January. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . Discover stories of India's leading eco-innovators at Ecopreneur Honours 2025
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Gold jewellery worth Rs 8.5 lakh missing from locked safe
Mangaluru: A theft case was reported at Barke police station limits after a woman alleged that gold jewellery weighing around 171g and valued at approximately Rs 8.5 lakh was stolen from her home. The complainant, Pooja P, stated that her husband, who works abroad, returned home on July 19. The couple lives in a joint family, and due to the poor health of her husband's grandmother, Ratna, a woman named Geetha from Karwar was hired as a daytime caregiver. On July 20, Pooja, along with her husband, children, and other relatives, visited the Polali temple. Before leaving, she wore a gold bangle from a jewellery box stored inside a safe locker in a bedroom cupboard. The next day, she returned the bangle to the box, placed it back in the locker, locked it, and kept the key under some papers inside the cupboard shelf. The cupboard door was shut but not locked. Later that evening, when she went to retrieve the key, it was missing. Despite an extensive search, the key could not be located, and she assumed it was misplaced. On July 22, her husband, mother-in-law, children, and another family member visited the Mangaluru One centre at Lalbagh and returned in the evening. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo During that time, only Geetha and the elderly grandmother were at home. On July 23, Pooja and her family left for her mother's house in Kodaje, Mani. Her husband returned home on July 25, while Pooja and the children came back on July 26. Once again, they searched for the missing key, but it was still nowhere to be found. On July 28, her husband called a locksmith, who, in Pooja's presence, opened the safe and installed a new lock and key. The next morning, when the safe was opened using the new key, several gold ornaments from the jewellery box were found missing. After discussing the matter with family members, Pooja filed a complaint on Aug 3.
