Suresh Gopi meets family of arrested nun, offers support in conversion and trafficking case

Kochi: Union Minister of State for Tourism and Thrissur MP Suresh Gopi visited the family of Sister Preethi Mary on Wednesday, one of two Kerala-based nuns recently arrested in Chhattisgarh in a controversial conversion and human trafficking case.

The minister’s visit to the nun’s residence came amid mounting criticism over his silence on the matter, especially from within Kerala's Christian community.

What did the nun’s family say?

According to Sister Mary’s brother, the minister took time to understand their concerns and promised assistance. "He heard us very patiently and said he will do everything he can to see how best things can be resolved," the nun's brother told the media.

Despite being followed by reporters from his arrival in Thiruvananthapuram at 2.30 am, the minister refrained from making any public statements and left the premises without addressing the press.

What is the case about?

The case centres around the July 26 arrest of Sister Mary and Sister Vandana Francis, both members of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate, based in Alappuzha. They were detained by Bajrang Dal activists at a railway station in Chhattisgarh, who accused them of forced religious conversion and trafficking of three tribal women from Narayanpur district to Agra, allegedly for work at a convent.

The nuns and a local man accompanying them were taken into custody and spent eight days in Durg Central Jail before being released on 2 August following a special NIA court’s bail order in Bilaspur.

Why has the case sparked controversy in Kerala?

The arrests triggered massive political and religious backlash in Kerala, particularly among the state’s influential Christian community, where many priests and nuns are seen as integral to social and educational institutions.

Suresh Gopi, the popular actor-turned-politician, had faced growing criticism for not speaking publicly on the issue. Prominent voices, including Yuhanon Mar Meletheos, Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church's Thrissur Diocese, took to social media to express frustration.

"We haven't seen an actor from Thrissur, whom we elected and sent to Delhi. Should we inform the police?" the bishop posted, in a pointed jab at Gopi’s absence from the discourse.

Wednesday's visit is widely being viewed as a strategic political gesture to appease the Christian electorate in Thrissur and beyond, where dissatisfaction had been growing over Gopi’s silence on the issue.

With IANS inputs