BILASPUR: A special court in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur on Saturday granted conditional bail to three individuals — including two Catholic nuns from Kerala — who were arrested on charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion.Principal District and Sessions Judge (NIA Court) Sirajuddin Qureshi granted bail to Preethi Merry, Vandana Francis (both from Kerala), and Sukaman Mandavi, with conditions that they surrender their passports, furnish a bond of Rs 50,000 each, and provide two sureties.The three were arrested on July 25 at Durg railway station after a complaint was filed by a local Bajrang Dal functionary. The complainant alleged that the trio had trafficked three girls from Narayanpur and were attempting to forcibly convert them.Speaking to reporters, defence counsel Amrito Das said the court had reserved its order after a hearing on Friday. He noted that the prosecution had not sought police custody for interrogation and confirmed that the alleged victims had already been sent back to their homes.The case has sparked sharp reactions across religious and rights groups, with legal proceedings now expected to continue under court supervision.
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