- 02 August, 2025
Raipur, July 28, 2025 — Kerala Member of Parliament John Brittas has written to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, urging his “immediate intervention” in the arrest and judicial remand of two Catholic nuns from Kerala — Sr Vandhana Francis and Sr Preethi. The two were detained at Durg Railway Station on 25 July 2025 by the Government Railway Police (GRP) on allegations of human trafficking and religious conversion.
In his letter dated 27 July, Brittas stated that the incident was “shocking and appears to reflect a growing trend of targeting minority communities under flimsy and communally charged allegations.” He added that “there was reportedly no indication of coercion, nor any credible evidence to suggest conversion.”
The nuns had reportedly travelled from Agra to Durg to receive three adult girls and a man who had come from Jharkhand “with proper consent, intending to work in the convent.” All six were taken into custody, and the nuns have since been remanded to judicial custody. Brittas noted that the arrests were allegedly instigated by “certain right-wing groups who exerted pressure on local authorities,” and that complaints were filed “just before the detention” without a “thorough and impartial preliminary inquiry.”
He also raised concern over the “confiscation of their mobile phones and the absence of any formal communication with the families of the detainees,” calling the situation “particularly troubling.”
Quoting from the letter, Brittas warned that the incident “raises serious concerns regarding the misuse of legal provisions and the weaponisation of administrative machinery to harass religious minorities and those engaged in legitimate social and humanitarian work.”
He urged the Chief Minister to “immediately intervene to secure the release of Sr Vandhana Francis and Sr Preethi” and to initiate “an independent and impartial inquiry into the background of the complaint, and into the role played by right-wing groups in influencing police action.”
The incident has sparked outrage across Kerala and beyond, with many viewing it as part of a wider pattern of targeting minority groups under the guise of anti-conversion laws. Brittas' appeal has brought the matter into sharp national focus, as civil rights advocates await the state government’s response.
By Catholic Connect Reporter
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