Nuns' Arrest: LDF Delegation Leaves for Chhattisgarh

Delhi: Following the arrest of two Malayali nuns accused of religious conversion and human trafficking, a delegation comprising LDF MPs, senior CPI M leader Brinda Karat, and National Federation of Indian Women general secretary Annie Raja has departed from Chhattisgarh. The team includes CPI M Lok Sabha leader K Radhakrishnan, Rajya Sabha MPs A A Rahim, P P Suneer, and Jose K Mani. The delegation was departed from Delhi at 12 noon.

Meanwhile, even on the fourth day since their arrest, the police have not allowed the nuns to contact Church authorities. The case has been registered under Section 4 of the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, citing "forced religious conversion,' and under 143 sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for human trafficking. The nuns, Preethy Mary, named as the first accused, and Vandana Francis, the second, have also been charged under Section 152 of the BNS for anti-national activities. The charges can carry a maximum sentence of up to ten years in prison.

The nuns, currently in remand, were initially expected to file for bail on Monday in the Durgh District Court. However, after identifying serious flaws in the FIR, it was decided to delay the application.

The incident involved the nuns arriving with a relative to accompany girls, who had come for domestic work with their parents' consent, when they were attacked by Bajrang Dal activists led by Ratan Yadav and Jyoti Sharma. It was the Bajrang Dal workers themselves who called the police, accusing the nuns of religious conversion.