Kerala Court Acquits 2 Nuns, 3 Others In Human Trafficking Case Citing Lack Of Evidence

A Kerala court acquitted five in a human trafficking case, citing lack of evidence of coercion, threat or exploitation of underage girls.

The Congress MPs staged a protest against the arrest of the nuns in Chhattisgarh's Durg for alleged human trafficking and forced religious conversion

Source : PTI

A Kerala court has acquitted five individuals, including two nuns and three people from Jharkhand, in alleged human trafficking case involving three underage girls for domestic work. The court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish evidence of coercion, threats, or exploitation.

The order, as per PTI said, "There is absolutely no recital that the girls had been transported using any threats. There is no case of committing any abduction or playing fraud/deception or by abuse or power. The main allegation is that there has been some form of coercion and that of inducement. It has to be seen that none of the witnesses including the survivors state so."

In the July 26 order, the Court of I Additional Sessions Judge K. Kamanees delivered the verdict, stating that the prosecution could not make out a prima facie case under Section 370 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with human trafficking offenses. The judge noted the absence of claims related to deception, fraud, or conditions resembling slavery or servitude. The victims themselves confirmed that no payment was made in connection with their travel.

Chhattisgarh Sessions Court Declines Jurisdiction In Nuns' Bail Pleas

In a related development, a sessions court in Durg, Chhattisgarh, recently dismissed bail petitions filed by two nuns arrested on charges of human trafficking and religious conversion. The court clarified that it lacks jurisdiction to hear cases under Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to human trafficking, advising the accused to approach a special court for relief.

Nuns Preethi Merry and Vandana Francis, along with Sukaman Mandavi, were taken into custody by the Government Railway Police at Durg railway station on July 25. Their arrest followed a complaint from a local Bajrang Dal member, accusing them of forcibly converting three tribal women from Narayanpur district and trafficking them.

Currently, the two nuns from Kerala remain in Durg Central Jail as legal proceedings continue.