By Matters India Correspondent
Durg, July 31, 2025 — Two Catholic nuns from Kerala, Sister Preeti Mary and Sister Vandana Francis of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate, have been held in judicial custody at Durg Central Jail since July 25.
Their arrest, along with tribal aide Sukaman Mandavi, has ignited widespread condemnation across political, religious, and civil society circles.
The trio was accompanying three women from Narayanpur district to Agra, allegedly to assist them in securing employment at a convent. Chhattisgarh police intercepted the group at Durg Railway Station and filed charges under the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act and human trafficking provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Authorities claim the women were being transported for conversion, a charge the nuns’ advocates call baseless.
Legal proceedings hit a snag when the Durg sessions court refused jurisdiction under the NIA Act, transferring the bail plea to the NIA-designated court in Bilaspur. The state police have 15 days to secure central approval for the transfer.
Meanwhile, Parliament saw united protest from Kerala’s LDF and UDF MPs, who met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to demand immediate action. Church leaders across denominations have called for prayer vigils and legal solidarity, underscoring the nuns’ long-standing humanitarian service in tribal regions.
Reports suggest that both nuns are battling health issues, including fever and arthritis, and are currently sleeping on jail floors. Local officials have since promised transfer to a district hospital.
Protests Planned Across Kerala
On July 31, massive protests are being staged across Kerala in solidarity with the arrested nuns. In Thiruvananthapuram, hundreds of believers, clergy, and laity are marching to the Raj Bhavan, led by Archbishop Mar Baselios Cleemis of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. Protesters are covering their mouths with black cloths to symbolize the silencing of minority voices2.
In Ernakulam and Thrissur, parish communities, political parties, and church organizations have organized candlelight vigils, sit-ins, and marches. The Kerala Latin Catholic Association, Thrissur Archdiocese, and Cherupushpa Mission League have condemned the arrests as unconstitutional and anti-minority.
Speakers across denominations have emphasized the nuns’ selfless service and called the arrests a threat to India’s secular fabric. “No jail can stop such commitment to humanity,” declared Archbishop Cleemis.