Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate

A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Bilaspur has granted bail to two Catholic nuns from Kerala, Sr. Vandana Francis and Sr. Preethi Mary, both members of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI), along with Sukhman Mandavi, a tribal youth from Narayanpur who was arrested with them.

In a striking development that challenges the official narrative of a controversial conversion case, three tribal girls from Narayanpur have filed formal complaints accusing Bajrang Dal activists and activist Jyoti Sharma of assault, intimidation, and coercion during an encounter at Durg railway station on July 25.

Two Catholic nuns were detained by authorities in central India over allegations of human trafficking, prompting strong reactions from Church leaders who decried the incident as part of a growing trend of hostility toward religious minorities.