HONG KONG (SE): Two Catholic nuns from the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate [ASMI] have been arrested in central India under controversial allegations of human trafficking and forced religious conversion, sparking condemnation from Church leaders and human rights advocates.
Sister Preeti Mary and Sister Vandana Francis were detained on July 25 at Durg Railway Station in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, along with a tribal youth, Sukhman Mandavi. They were accompanying three young women aged between 19 and 22 from the Narayanpur district in the Diocese of Jagdalpur. The group was reportedly en route to Agra, in Uttar Pradesh, where the women had been offered employment at a Catholic-run hospital.
The incident escalated when a train ticket examiner [TTE] stopped the group for not possessing platform tickets. During questioning, the young women explained they were travelling with the nuns for job opportunities. However, the TTE reportedly alerted local members of the Bajrang Dal, a radical Hindu nationalist organisation, who arrived at the scene and accused the nuns of attempting religious conversion.
Despite the women stating they were already Christians and had parental consent to travel, police detained the entire group for further questioning. All three women had documentation showing they were willingly traveling for employment purposes. Nevertheless, the Railway Police Force [RPF] proceeded to file a First Information Report against the three adults under the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act and the Immoral Traffic [Prevention] Act.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India [CBCI] issued a strong statement condemning the arrests and the treatment of the nuns. “The women were legal adults travelling voluntarily. This is a violation of their constitutional rights and an affront to the dignity of women religious,” the statement read. “We will take up this matter on all appropriate platforms.”
The women were legal adults travelling voluntarily. This is a violation of their constitutional rights and an affront to the dignity of women religious
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India
The sisters of two of the young women also spoke out, insisting that their siblings had consented to the journey and that their families had no objections. “Our parents are no longer alive, and I personally encouraged my sister to accept this opportunity,” said the elder sister of one woman, speaking from the police station in Durg. “The nuns are innocent. I have worked with them in Lucknow and know the value of such employment.”
The younger sister of another woman, speaking from Narayanpur, confirmed that her family had converted to Christianity five years ago and demanded the immediate release of the nuns.
Narayanpur Superintendent of Police later confirmed that the families of all three women had submitted written statements on 26 July, affirming they had sent their daughters knowingly for job opportunities. “I know these nuns from Agra. They have been doing noble work for society,” he told reporters. “We are still unclear what exactly was reported or miscommunicated.”
Oswald Cardinal Gracias, former president of the CBCI, also expressed his outrage, calling the incident “an aggression against women.” He said, “Our women religious were heckled, disrespected, and harassed. This is no way to treat women in any civil society. Such incidents tarnish the image of the nation.”
Chhattisgarh, where the incident took place, is home to over 30 million people, with Christians comprising less than two percent of the population. In recent years, there has been a marked increase in religiously motivated harassment and violence against Christians, with churches attacked, worship services disrupted, and individuals arrested under anti-conversion laws.
He said, “Our women religious were heckled, disrespected, and harassed. This is no way to treat women in any civil society. Such incidents tarnish the image of the nation
Oswald Cardinal Gracias
The arrests have ignited political controversy, with human rights groups alleging the incident is part of a broader trend of targeting Christian missionaries and organisations under the pretext of conversion laws.
An RPF official defended the arrests, claiming that the young women had allegedly been promised jobs and were “being taken to Agra under suspicious circumstances.” The official added that investigations were ongoing and that “the law will take its course.”
However, Church officials insist the case is yet another example of how anti-conversion sentiment is being weaponised against religious minorities. The CBCI has vowed to provide legal assistance to the nuns and to pursue justice for all those unjustly detained.
As the investigation continues, Catholic communities across India and abroad are calling for the immediate release of the nuns and an end to the harassment of Christian workers, particularly women religious who serve in remote and underserved areas.
“This is not just about two nuns,” said a Church representative in Delhi. “It’s about defending truth, dignity, and the freedom of religion guaranteed by our Constitution.”
