The Jharkhand State Minority Commission took suo motu cognisance on Tuesday of the alleged questioning and detention of a Catholic nun and 19 tribal minors at Tatanagar railway station by Hindu right-wing outfits on “suspicion of human trafficking and religious conversion.”
Vice-Chairperson Pranesh Solomon described the September 20 incident as a “serious” case of minority harassment. “We will be writing to the district commissioner, senior superintendent of police and the Railway Police to furnish the reasons for the detention of the nun and the minors even after not finding any valid reasons for the charges labelled against them by some right-wing outfits,” Solomon said.
National People’s Party working president James K. Sangma also condemned the incident on Tuesday. “I strongly condemn the harassment and unlawful detention of a Catholic nun, two staff members from Catholic Charities Jamshedpur, and 19 minors at Tatanagar railway station on September 21, 2025. This incident represents a disturbing attack on religious freedom based solely on unsubstantiated allegations,” Sangma stated.
Investigators have found no merit to the allegations made by Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad members. Deputy Superintendent of Police Jayshree Kujur confirmed that “no confirmed religious conversion has taken place” though investigations continue. Child Helpline 1098 official Pankaj Gupta reported they found no suspicious activity.
The controversy began on Friday night, September 20, when the Catholic nun and 19 Adivasi children were detained for approximately five hours at Tatanagar railway station after deboarding the South Bihar Express. The group was travelling from Kharsawan to Jamshedpur to attend a two-day life skills training programme organised by Catholic Charities Jamshedpur.
The nun, who works in tribal villages of Saraikela-Kharsawan district on adolescent awareness projects, alleged that two men followed them during the train journey. “They followed us, and at one point, the TTE quietly asked me where I was taking them,” she said. “Later, a huge mob gathered, as if I were a criminal. The passengers and the TTE began questioning the religion of the minors.”
She showed permission letters from the children’s guardians and the village chief allowing the minors to travel with her. “We conduct this program every few months, and these children have been in touch with us for more than a couple of years,” she explained. “There are children from non-Christian families as well, who still follow their own religion, not Christianity.”
Complications arose because some children lacked Aadhaar cards, having joined the programme at the last minute. When the travelling ticket examiner threatened to hand the group over to police, the nun called Father Birendra Tete, director of the programme.
Arun Singh, head of the local Bajrang Dal unit, claimed a member travelling on the train observed “protective threads” on the children’s hands and questioned them. “The children could not provide clear answers,” Singh alleged. He contended the children were too young to understand the programme’s contents and lodged a formal complaint alleging the minors were being trafficked.
Father Tete, who rushed to the station, found disturbing scenes. “I reached the station and saw the minors sitting on platforms, with no female police staff. All of them were surrounded by Bajrang Dal members, who were taking pictures of the minor girls,” he alleged.
The group remained at the station from 11 pm Friday until approximately 4 am Saturday, initially with the Railway Protection Force before the Government Railway Police took over questioning. Several Catholic priests from the Jamshedpur Diocese rushed to the police station.
Christian rights groups alleged that Bajrang Dal members circulated photos and videos of the minors on social media. When questioned about photographing the children, Singh defended the action, stating their members did so to “gather evidence.”
After hours of interrogation, the priests, nun, and staff were asked to sign an application before being released at 3 am Saturday. Police escorted the group to the Catholic Charities centre in Sundernagar.
Despite the ordeal, the training programme proceeded over the weekend and the children returned home Sunday.
Father Tete clarified the programme’s purpose: “These children came from Rajkharsawan. We, at Catholic Charities Jamshedpur, are running projects focused on adolescent health and skill development.” He emphasised authorities found no issues with their work. “The police had no issues with us. The only problem arose because of the complaint filed by VHP and Bajrang Dal members accusing us of conversion.”
Ratan Tirkey, a former Tribal Advisory Council member, alleged that right-wing outfit members circulated photos and videos of the minor tribals without consent on social media. The All India Christian Minority Front announced they would flag the issue with authorities.
This incident follows a similar case from July, when two nuns from Kerala were arrested at Durg railway station in Chhattisgarh on similar allegations after being confronted by Bajrang Dal members. They were later granted bail by a National Investigation Agency court.
The Bajrang Dal is among Hindutva groups led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organisation of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The incident has raised questions about religious freedom and minority rights protection.
