Congress leader K.C. Venugopal has written to Amit Shah, calling the incident a “blatant miscarriage of justice” and accusing law enforcement of inaction under political pressure.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi | July 27, 2025
The arrest of two Catholic nuns and a young man at Durg Railway Station in Chhattisgarh has triggered outrage, with strong condemnation pouring in from Church leaders, civil society, and political parties across the spectrum — including both the ruling and opposition fronts in Kerala.
The incident, which took place on July 25, saw Sister Vandana Francis and Sister Preeti Mary — both originally from Kerala and affiliated with the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI) — detained along with Sukaman Mandavi, a youth from Narayanpur, following accusations by members of the Bajrang Dal. The trio was reportedly accompanying three young women aged between 18 and 19 to Agra, where they had secured employment at a hospital run by the ASMI congregation.
According to Fr. Robin Rodrigues, spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), the women were traveling with full parental consent, identity documents, and confirmed rail tickets. However, at the station, they were intercepted and accused of religious conversion and trafficking — allegations that Church authorities have dismissed as “fabricated and politically motivated.”
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“Such incidents are deeply disturbing. The sisters had all legal documentation, yet the police chose to side with self-proclaimed vigilantes and arrested them on non-bailable charges,” said Sister Asha Paul, secretary of the CBCI Women’s Council. She added that the police refused to verify the consent letters from the parents or record the girls’ statements before filing charges under the Chhattisgarh Religious Conversion Act and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act
Attacks on minorities have seen a rampant increase under BJP-ruled States, be it Chhattisgarh, Odisha or MP.
The latest attacks by Bajrang Dal goons on 2 Catholic nuns in Durg, Chhattisgarh point to a tacit support for such hate crimes from the ruling establishment.
I have… pic.twitter.com/zcwSMVUHLJ
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) July 27, 2025
The arrested individuals are currently under judicial remand at Durg prison, and a local court is expected to hear their bail plea on Monday.
Congress Accuses BJP of Enabling Hate Crimes
The incident has drawn sharp political reactions. Congress leader and Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, K.C. Venugopal, addressed a strongly worded letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, calling the arrests a “blatant miscarriage of justice” and accusing the BJP-led government of enabling rising attacks on religious minorities.
“This is not an isolated incident. It represents a dangerous trend of fabricated allegations being used to harass Christians and suppress the freedoms guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution,” Venugopal wrote. He urged the Centre to take immediate legal action against those involved in the mob action, particularly the Bajrang Dal activists, and to instruct police forces to act with neutrality and uphold constitutional rights.
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He also criticized the state police for failing to stop the mob or investigate impartially. “That this kind of mob action took place in the presence of law enforcement is unacceptable. It shows a disturbing collusion between fringe groups and the state machinery,” he added.
In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Venugopal said:
“Attacks on minorities have seen a rampant increase under BJP-ruled states, be it Chhattisgarh, Odisha or MP. The latest attacks by Bajrang Dal goons on 2 Catholic nuns in Durg point to tacit support for such hate crimes from the ruling establishment.”
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh echoed the sentiment and reposted Venugopal’s letter, stating: “The Prime Minister remains silent while such incidents keep happening under his watch.”
Police Confirm Arrests Based on Bajrang Dal Complaint
A Government Railway Police (GRP) official in Durg confirmed on Sunday that the arrests followed a complaint filed by a local Bajrang Dal functionary. The official said that the three girls involved claimed they were being taken to Agra for employment, but that the police had reason to believe the nuns were using this as a pretext for forced conversion.
A case was registered after preliminary interrogation and based on statements given by the girls, the GRP said.
Christian groups say the Durg arrests are part of a broader pattern of harassment targeting their community in several BJP-ruled states. Incidents involving pastors, missionaries, and church workers have risen in recent years, often revolving around unverified allegations of conversion.
“The use of mob intimidation and communal targeting under the guise of law enforcement is a grave threat to India’s secular democracy,” said Fr. Rodrigues.
The Congress party has called for an urgent judicial inquiry into the incident and full accountability from local police and administration.
