Two Malayali nuns and a tribal youth arrested in Chhattisgarh on charges of human trafficking and religious conversion have been granted bail after nine days in judicial custody. The Bilaspur NIA Court, presided over by Principal Sessions Judge Sirajuddin Qureshi, issued the order with stringent conditions, including two sureties of ₹50,000 each, surrender of passports, and a restriction on leaving the country.
The bail application was supported by an assurance from Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the state government would not oppose it. Despite this, the prosecution objected, stating that the investigation was still in its early stages. However, when asked by the court whether custodial interrogation was necessary, the prosecution admitted it was not.
Defending the accused, advocate Amritodoss argued that the FIR was filed without any concrete evidence and emphasized that the nuns had no criminal background. He stated that assumptions cannot form the basis of a criminal charge, and since the prosecution had not sought custodial interrogation, continued detention was unjustified.
The bail was granted to Sisters Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis, along with Sukhman Mandavi, a tribal youth who was with them during the arrest. All three had been lodged at Durg Central Jail since their arrest. The case, which drew attention from both political and religious circles, continues to be under investigation.
