After securing conditional bail in the controversial conversion and trafficking case in Chhattisgarh, tribal girls and supporters of the accused have broken their silence, calling the allegations fabricated and politically motivated.
In an emotionally charged statement following the NIA court’s decision, Kumari Lalita Usendi expressed relief at being released from custody. “I feel good that I have been proven innocent. Jyoti Sharma sent bhaiya and sister to jail without any proof. Today we got bail, and it feels good,” she said, referring to the two Catholic nuns from Kerala who were arrested along with a tribal youth.
The case had drawn national attention after the arrest of the nuns and youth triggered outrage from civil rights groups and church leaders, who termed the charges of religious conversion and human trafficking as baseless.
Another young tribal girl, Kamleshwari Pradhan, broke down while describing the ordeal. “There was so much violence, sir… it was our first time traveling like this. They dragged us to the police station. Jyoti Sharma beat us. It was terrifying,” she said, tearfully recounting the trauma.
Sukanmati Mandavi, also associated with the case, rejected the allegations outright. “We were on our way to Agra for work. Jyoti Sharma accused us of religious conversion and human trafficking. These are false allegations. We've been attending prayers since childhood. What she says is a lie,” she added.
The bail, granted by Principal District and Sessions Judge Sirajuddin Qureshi of the special NIA court in Bilaspur, came with conditions. Each accused must submit a bond of ₹50,000 and surrender their passports, with a bar on leaving the country without permission.
The judge observed that continued custody was unnecessary at this stage, especially given the lack of compelling evidence presented during the hearings.
The case, widely seen as a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over religious freedom and tribal rights, is still under investigation. However, the court’s decision and the emotional reactions of those released have cast fresh doubt on the credibility of the prosecution’s claims.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)