Alappuzha: Two Catholic nuns from Kerala have been arrested in Chhattisgarh on allegations of religious conversion and human trafficking.

The incident happened on Friday, when Sister Vandana and Sister Preethi, members of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI), a congregation under the Syro-Malabar Church based in Cherthala, were taken into custody at the Durg railway station.

The nuns, working at Fatima Hospital in Agra, were accompanying three young girls, allegedly for domestic work, when a group of people stopped them at the station, who then alerted the police. One of the girls’ brothers was also present.

The situation escalated when one of the girls reportedly told police that she was taken without her consent. Additionally, the girls were not carrying Aadhaar cards, which further raised suspicion.

The nuns later stated that since a family member was accompanying the group, they didn’t feel the need to carry identification.

Charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion have been filed against the nuns, officials from the Green Gardens convent in Cherthala told Mathrubhumi.

This is not the first time nuns have come under scrutiny. In February, another incident involving nuns from a Catholic congregation in Indore created controversy. The nuns were conducting a medical awareness camp for children of domestic workers when they were detained by police over allegations of religious conversion. It was also alleged that they had not obtained prior permission from the authorities. Later, the police take custody of some nuns.

Advisory to avoid religious attire

In the wake of repeated incidents, senior clergy working in northern India have reportedly issued unofficial advice to nuns to avoid wearing religious attire while travelling in public, particularly on trains. Priests and bishops have also begun wearing pants and shirts during travel to avoid drawing unwanted attention.

A senior nun from Green Gardens commented that while nuns occasionally wear plain clothes while travelling, they did not anticipate controversy in this case, especially with a girl’s brother accompanying the group.

Fr. Suresh Mathew, based in Amritsar, confirmed to Mathrubhumi that such advisory messages have been shared in WhatsApp groups as a precautionary measure.

Rise in attacks on Christians

The United Christian Forum, a New Delhi-based rights group, reported 834 incidents of violence against Christians in India in 2024, up from 734 the previous year.

The report notes that most attacks are linked to allegations of religious conversion, especially in states like Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.