Chhattisgarh: Two Kerala nuns released from jail after NIA court grants them bail

Durg (Chhattisgarh) [India], August 1 (ANI): Two Kerala nuns who were arrested on charges of trafficking and religious conversion were released from jail after a 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.
CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar and other leaders were also present to receive them.
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.
Soon after the court granted them bail, Congress Kerala MLA Roji Mullanmadakkal John welcomed the decision and called the case "false" and politically motivated.
Speaking to ANI, John said, "After 9 days, the two innocent nuns have got bail. We have been waiting for this from the beginning. Finally, the NIA Court has granted them bail. This was a false case."
Congress MP Jebi Mather said the development had exposed what she called the "real face" of the BJP and its affiliates.
"We are very happy. Now, everyone knows the real face of the BJP, RSS and Bajrang Dal. The divisive agenda of RSS, BJP, and Bajrang Dal is visible in this case. We are happy that the sisters will be released today," she said. (ANI)