Nuns accused of trafficking tribal women granted conditional bail
Two nuns, Sisters Vandana Francis and Preethi Mary, were arrested in Chhattisgarh after being accused of forcing tribal women to convert and trafficking them under the cover of missionary work.
The complaint came from a Bajrang Dal member, leading to their arrest at Durg railway station on July 25.
Nuns deny all charges
On August 2, an NIA court granted them conditional bail—they have to surrender their passports, pay a ₹50,000 bond, stay in Chhattisgarh unless the court says otherwise, and cooperate with investigators.
Both nuns deny all charges, saying the women joined voluntarily with family consent.
Vandana's family called the claims "baseless," highlighting her decades helping marginalized communities.
Their mission says it's never faced such accusations in its 75 years of service.