Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma seeks release of Kerala nuns arrested in Chhattisgarh

Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has written to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnudeo Sai, seeking the immediate release of two Kerala-based nuns who were arrested on charges of religious conversion and trafficking.

The two nuns, identified as Sister Preeti Mary and Sister Vandana Francis, were arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Durg railway station on July 25, along with another individual, Sukhman Mandavi.

The arrest followed a complaint lodged by a local Bajrang Dal member. The trio has been booked under Section 4 of the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968 (related to forced conversion) and Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), pertaining to human trafficking.

In his letter, Chief Minister Sangma described the arrest as “shocking” and said the charges were based on “unfounded allegations.” He emphasised that “religious persecution of any kind has no place in a democratic and secular nation like India.”

Sangma called for a fair and impartial investigation and urged the Chhattisgarh government to withdraw the case. “Justice must prevail. Intolerance must not,” he stated. He also raised concerns over what he described as a “worrying pattern of religious targeting.”

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking their intervention in the matter. Meanwhile, members of the Catholic community in Meghalaya have submitted petitions to the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister demanding justice for the detained nuns.

Amid ongoing nationwide protests over the incident, one of the three girls rescued during the operation has told the media that she was travelling with the nuns of her own free will. She claimed she was heading to Agra to take up work as a cook and alleged that she was assaulted by members of the Bajrang Dal during the incident.