Bilaspur: A special NIA court in Chhattisgarh on Saturday granted bail to two Kerala-based nuns who were arrested on July 25 in connection with alleged trafficking and forced religious conversion.

The accused, Sisters Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis, along with Sukaman Mandavi, were taken into custody at Durg railway station following a complaint filed by Bajrang Dal activists. The complaint alleged that the trio had trafficked and forcibly converted three women from Narayanpur.

On Thursday, a sessions court in Durg district had disposed of the bail plea of two Kerala nuns, saying that the matter should be heard by an NIA court.

Meanwhile, the LDF has announced statewide protest gatherings across all 140 assembly constituencies in Kerala on August 3 and 4, in response to the nuns' arrest.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) strongly condemned the arrest, claiming that, according to reports, the women had explicit written permission from their parents but were physically assaulted after being arrested.