"Arrested under false accusations": Thrissur Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath welcomes release of nuns arrested in Chhattisgarh

Thrissur (Kerala) [India], August 1 (ANI): Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) President and Thrissur Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath on Saturday welcomed the NIA Special Court's decision to grant bail to two Kerala-based nuns arrested in Chhattisgarh on human trafficking charges, calling their arrest as based on "false accusations."
"I thank God and everyone for this good news... The two sisters had come to work in a hospital with the permission of their parents... A mob of extremists attacked them... and they were arrested under totally false accusations," he told ANI.
Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath called for a law from the government to protect people from such incidents.
He also thanked everyone for making efforts for the release of the two Nuns.
"Our request is that the case be quashed at the earliest, because the delay might lead to more false accusations... There should be an Act from the government to protect against such incidents... Many fringe groups have attacked Christianity in recent times... I thank all the people of goodwill for taking efforts for the release of the sisters and thank the centre and state governments for their active intervention," he added.
Jojo MV, brother of Sr Preethy Mary, one of the nuns, said, "We are very happy to hear this news. Thank you to everyone who supported our family..."
"We are very happy to hear this news. Thank you to everyone who supported our family," he added.
Meanwhile, Two Kerala nuns who were arrested on charges of trafficking and religious conversion were released from jail after an NIA court granted them bail on Saturday.
Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajeev Chandrasekhar received the two Nuns from Durg Jail, who were arrested in Chhattisgarh.
Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajeev Chandrasekhar received the two Nuns from Durg Jail, who were arrested in Chhattisgarh.
Two Kerala-based nuns arrested earlier in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, on charges of human trafficking have been granted bail by a local court, their legal counsel confirmed on Saturday.
The case was filed under Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3 of the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967.
Advocate Gopa Kumar, representing the nuns, told ANI, "A case of human trafficking was registered under BNS section 143. We argued that this section cannot be applied to the case. So the court has granted bail today. They cannot go out of India, and a bail bond of Rs 50,000 each needs to be furnished. The bail will be granted in a few hours."
An advocate representing the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is handling aspects of the case, also confirmed the development.
"The bail order has been passed, and conditional bail has been given to them. The conditions include that they must not leave India and must not influence the investigation. Around five such conditions have been imposed. We have received the court order and will study it in detail," the NIA counsel said.
On Friday, a special NIA court in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district took up the bail application of three persons, including the two nuns, in the case. The court reserved its order for today. The defence counsel argued that there was no material evidence to suggest that the accused indulged in forcible religious conversion or human trafficking.
The nuns from Kerala were arrested at Durg Railway Station in Chhattisgarh on July 25. (ANI)