By Robancy Helen
Trichy, Feb 7, 2022: A court in Tamil Nadu, southern India, on February 7 granted bail to a 62-year-old Catholic nun, 18 days after she was arrested in connection with the suicide of a hostel girl.
Justice P Mathusuthanan, principal sessions Judge of Thanjavur, also granted anticipatory bail to another nun, who too faces the same charge.
The court granted the bail on a personal bond of 10,000 rupees and two sureties each paying the same amount. It asked the nun not to tamper any witness and cooperate with the investigation.
The nun ‘should not make any undue influence on the witnesses, she should not indulge in any other offence in the coming future and not to leave the station either to abroad or other state without permission of this court.”
Sister Sagaya Mary, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, was arrested January 20, after the girl’s death. She was a warden of St. Michael’s Hostel attached to Sacred Heart of Jesus Higher Secondary School in Michaelpatti in Ariyalur district.
The school and hostel, under the diocese of Kumbakonam, are managed by the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, or the Pondicherry Blues, for the poor and the abandoned girls.
The 17-year-old Hindu girl died January 20, ten days after she consumed pesticide. A case was registered at Thirukattuppalli police station.
“We are very happy to inform you that Sister Sagaya Mary was granted bail and Sister Prisca Rachel anticipatory bail,” says a message from Father Singarayar of Madurai Jesuit province.
“Let us thank and praise our Lord God for His abundant blessings. Thanks a million for your prayers, support and solidarity. Let us continue to work together for the sisters to come out of the case successfully very soon,” says his WhatsApp message to his friends.
The bail was granted a week after the Madurai bench of Madras High Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to take over the investigation into the girl’s death. The girl’s father S. Muruganantham, had told the court that he had no faith in the Tamil Nadu police, who had ruled out the “conversion angle.”
Some Hindu nationalist groups are using the suicide as ploy to target Christians in the state. Annamalai, state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, has tried to convert the case into forced conversion. Several political leaders and human rights groups in Tamil Nadu have protested the allegation.
A video posted on social media platforms by suspected members of the BJP and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Council of Hindus) allege that the girl took poison after some Catholic nuns forced her to convert.
The video and allegation have created social unrest in Tamil Nadu where Hindu radicals have been trying to get a foothold for several years.
Sister Sagaya Mary belongs to the St. Joseph’s province of the Pondicherry Blue congregation. Her provincial Sister Rosary asserts that their congregation does not convert anyone. “We have been involved in the mission of educating the poor and marginalized girls in the rural villages for more than 160 years,” She explains.
Some human rights groups on January 28 staged a protest meet in Trichy in solidarity with the nuns. Hundreds of priests and nuns along with people of other faiths participated.
RSS-driven BJP’s “dirty game” must be exposed. And the people of Tamil Nadu must make up their minds to chase the BJP from Tamil Nadu for ever.
At the same time, all Catholic Institutions (School, College, Hospital, NGO) must promote “secular ideologies” in all their service activities.