Authorities in Chhattisgarh, India launched an investigation into allegations that Hindu activists assaulted and intimidated three Christian tribal in an incident that also led to the arrest of two Catholic nuns on charges of human trafficking and conversion.
Newsroom (22/08/2025, Gaudium Press )Authorities in Chhattisgarh, a central Indian state, have launched an investigation into allegations that Hindu activists assaulted and intimidated three Christian tribal women at Durg railway station on July 25, an incident that also led to the arrest of two Catholic nuns on charges of human trafficking and conversion. The Chhattisgarh State Women’s Commission, a statutory quasi-judicial body, has taken up the case, summoning the complainants for a hearing on August 20.
The three women, whose identities remain confidential, appeared before the commission to press their case against members of the Hindu nationalist group Bajrang Dal. One complainant told UCA News on August 21 that the group, led by a woman named Jyoti Sharma, subjected them to physical assault and verbal threats, including rape and murder, both on the railway platform and inside a local police station. The women, accompanied by a brother of one complainant, were at the station to travel with two nuns who had offered them employment at Church-run institutions in neighboring Madhya Pradesh.
The nuns, Vandana Francis and Preeti Mary of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI), a Franciscan congregation under the Syro-Malabar Church, were detained by police following the incident on accusations of human trafficking and religious conversion. They were released on bail after nine days, but their legal case remains active. The complainants assert that the charges are baseless, emphasizing that they are Christians and traveled to the station voluntarily as adults.
The women’s efforts to file a complaint against Sharma and other activists were initially rebuffed by local police, prompting intervention from leaders of the Communist Party of India (CPI). Phulsingh Kachlam, a CPI leader in Narayanpur district, told UCA News that police disregarded the women’s grievances despite India’s laws protecting tribal and Dalit communities from atrocities. Kachlam noted that the women escalated their complaints to Indian President Draupadi Murmu, federal and state human rights commissions, the state governor, and the chief minister, but only the State Women’s Commission has responded so far.
“We are hopeful other authorities will take notice soon,” Kachlam said, adding that while the complainants appeared before the commission on August 20, Sharma, the accused, visited the commission’s office but did not attend the proceedings.
One of the women described the conversion and trafficking allegations as “bogus,” asserting their right to travel freely across India. “We will fight until we get justice, so others like us don’t suffer,” she told UCA News on August 21.
Chhattisgarh, with a population of approximately 30 million, has emerged as a focal point for anti-Christian violence, driven by Hindu nationalist campaigns aiming to establish Hindu dominance. The state recorded 165 incidents of anti-Christian violence in 2024, the second-highest in India, according to the United Christian Forum, a New Delhi-based ecumenical group. Christians, who make up less than 2% of the state’s population, face ongoing attacks, including assaults on individuals and institutions, denial of burial rights, forced evictions from villages, and restricted access to basic resources like water.
The investigation by the State Women’s Commission marks a critical step in addressing the allegations, but the outcome remains uncertain as the nuns face a potential court trial unless the charges are dropped.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCAN News
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