Two nuns arrested in Chhattisgarh over ‘forced religious conversion’, ‘human trafficking’

Durg: Three persons, including two nuns, were arrested at Durg railway station in Chhattisgarh over alleged human trafficking and forced religious conversion, a Government Railway Police (GRP) official said on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Sukaman Mandavi and nuns Preeti Marry and Vandana Francis, were apprehended on Friday, he said.

The action was taken following a complaint by a local Bajrang Dal functionary, accusing the trio of forcibly converting three girls from Narayanpur and trafficking them, the official said.

A case was registered under the Chhattisgarh Religious Conversion Act and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act after the statements of the girls and interrogation of the three accused, the official said.

“The girls said the nuns were taking them to Agra in Uttar Pradesh on the pretext of jobs. The girls said that Mandavi had brought them to Durg railway station, from where they had to go to Agra with the two nuns,” the GRP official added.