Two Catholic nuns and a young Christian man were arrested on 25 July at Durg Railway Station in Chhattisgarh, India, sparking outcry from Christian leaders and human rights advocates.
The trio were accompanying three young Christian girls from the tribal district of Narayanpur, who were reportedly on their way to take up employment at a hospital in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
The arrests followed an intervention by members of Bajrang Dal, a hardline Hindu nationalist group. Acting on a tip-off, they confronted the group at the railway station, accusing the nuns of attempting forced religious conversions and human trafficking, according to International Christian Concern.
The militants reportedly pressured railway police to detain the group, despite the nuns presenting signed consent letters from the girls' parents.
The incident quickly escalated, drawing crowds of both Christian and Hindu groups to the station. Shouting of religious slogans on both sides heightened tensions and underscored growing fears of communal unrest in the region.
Authorities later filed charges under India’s anti-conversion laws and human trafficking legislation. Critics say these laws are increasingly being used to intimidate and criminalise Christian activity in India, particularly among tribal and Dalit communities.
Christian leaders and opposition politicians have condemned the arrests as politically motivated and discriminatory. K.C. Venugopal, a senior member of the Indian National Congress and Member of Parliament, wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah, calling the incident a “shocking miscarriage of justice”.
"It is deeply disturbing that a group of self-proclaimed vigilantes could create such chaos, incite communal tension, and make unverified accusations of religious conversion and trafficking without any legal basis," Venugopal said in his letter.
He further criticised authorities for allegedly acting under pressure from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is widely seen as sympathetic to Hindu nationalist groups. “Despite clear parental consent and documentation, the authorities have continued to keep the nuns and the young man in custody,” he added.
India’s Christian community, just over 2% of the population, has increasingly faced legal and physical attacks in recent years, often under the pretext of anti-conversion laws. Human rights organisations have documented a sharp rise in church closures, pastor arrests, and mob violence against Christians.
The Catholic Church and other Christian organisations have urged authorities to ensure due process and to protect the rights of minority communities. Church leaders have also called for prayer and solidarity with those unjustly targeted for their faith.
This latest incident highlights growing concerns about religious freedom in India and the role of militant groups in influencing law enforcement.
