Religious Freedom & Legal Fairness Under Threat in Chhattisgarh: Arrest of Nuns Raises Alarming Questions

🛑 URGENT HUMAN RIGHTS ALERT

Religious Freedom & Legal Fairness Under Threat in Chhattisgarh: Arrest of Nuns Raises Alarming Questions

📍Issued by:
All India Council of Human Rights, Liberties & Social Justice (AICHLS)
Chairman: Dr. Anthony Raju, Advocate, Supreme Court of India

🗓️ Date: 1st August 2025

Incident Overview:

Three individuals — Sisters Preeti Marry, Vandana Francis (nuns), and a third person, Sukhman Mandavi, were arrested on July 26, 2025, from Durg Railway Station, Chhattisgarh, based on an FIR filed under the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. The complaint was reportedly initiated by a member of the Bajrang Dal, alleging forcible religious conversion and human trafficking.

⚠️ Serious Allegations of Coercion & Fabrication:

In a disturbing twist, one of the three women from Narayanpur, who were allegedly being “trafficked,” told The Indian Express that she was assaulted and threatened by Jyoti Sharma, a woman associated with a right-wing organization, to change her original statement. The woman claims that the police took action based solely on Bajrang Dal’s version of events, without an independent or neutral investigation.

🔍 Key Concerns Raised by AICHLS:

1. Violation of Religious Freedom:
   The arrest of nuns based on an unverified complaint, without preliminary inquiry or voluntary statements of the concerned women, points to targeted harassment of minority communities.

2. Suppression of Testimonies:
   Threatening a woman to give a false statement undermines natural justice, and any FIR based on such coercion is not only unconstitutional but criminally liable.

3. Misuse of State Machinery:
   The police must act neutrally and fairly — not under pressure from any ideological group. Relying solely on inputs from politically motivated outfits like Bajrang Dal indicates institutional bias.

4. Misapplication of Laws:
   Sections of the Religious Freedom Act and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act cannot be invoked without evidence or due process. This not only criminalizes charitable work but defames individuals without trial.

5. Gender and Minority Targeting:
   The arrest of women religious workers under dubious charges also reflects gendered communalism, where minority women are especially vulnerable to fabricated legal charges.

📢 Demands of AICHLS:

• Immediate Release of the arrested individuals pending impartial investigation.

• Judicial Probe into the role of coercion by individuals affiliated with right-wing groups.

• Protection of Witnesses, especially the Narayanpur woman who has bravely come forward.

• Disciplinary Action against police officers found to have filed an FIR without due diligence.

• Monitoring Mechanism to prevent misuse of religious freedom laws to harass minorities.

🗣️ Statement from Dr. Anthony Raju, Advocate, Supreme Court

Chairman – AICHLS

“This incident is a chilling reminder of how communal bias and political pressure can distort the justice system. When human rights defenders and religious workers are treated as criminals, we must raise our voices not just for justice, but for the soul of our democracy. AICHLS stands firm for religious liberty, legal fairness, and protection of the innocent.”

📞 For Legal Help & Human Rights Support
WhatsApp: +91 8588872001
📧 Email: office@humanrightscouncil.in
🌐 Website: www.humanrightscouncil.in

#ReligiousFreedomIndia #JusticeForNuns #HumanRightsUnderAttack #DrAnthonyRaju #StopLegalHarassment #MinorityRightsIndia #AICHLS #LegalHelpIndia #FaithAndFreedom #RuleOfLaw