Chhattisgarh BJP chief: Nuns arrests ‘misunderstanding’, will be granted bail

The arrest of nuns in Chhattisgarh over allegations of human trafficking and forced conversion was due to a "misunderstanding," and they will be released on bail soon, BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on August 1.

Chandrasekhar made the statement after meeting with Archbishop of Trichur Andrews Thazhath, the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), to brief him that the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister have assured the nuns would be released on bail.

The BJP state president said that both the PM and HM assured him that the state government will not oppose the bail pleas of the nuns.

"It is a judicial process. Let it happen. I only want to say that don't politicise the issue. We are not seeing it as politics. We are only trying to help the people. This was a misunderstanding," he contended.

Chandrasekhar said that there is a law regulating private placement agencies in Chhattisgarh which requires that young women moving from one district to another for jobs have to register on a portal.

"That was not done. Hence, the misunderstanding and the subsequent police action," he said.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Thazhath, after the meeting with the BJP state chief, told reporters the church wants the nuns to be released on bail during the day.

He said it was "painful" to hear about the action taken against the nuns.

The Archbishop also said he informed Chandrasekhar about the increasing attacks on the Christian community in the country and the need to ensure their security.

Nuns Preethi Merry and Vandana Francis along with Sukaman Mandavi were arrested at Durg railway station on July 25 following a complaint by a local Bajrang Dal functionary who accused them of forcibly converting three girls from Narayanpur and trafficking them.