Bishop supports Missionaries of Charity in child trafficking case

Days after the arrest of two members of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Ranchi for alleged involvement in child trafficking, the Roman Catholic Church has come out in support. Accusing the police of hounding nuns, the Church said that the nun is innocent and police extracted the confession under pressure.

Police in Ranchi have arrested two members – Sister Konsalia and Anima Indwar – of the Nirmal Hriday, run by the Missionaries of Charity for their alleged involvement in child trafficking. According to the police, the nun has confessed to the crime and has revealed to sell four infants for about Rs. 1.2 lakh each from the shelter home. Claiming to recover three infants, police suspect of more such instances.

ALSO READ: Jharkhand Child Trafficking: Babies sold for 1.2 lakh

Speaking to NDTV , Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas of Ranchi has called this controversy a case of “systemic maligning” and said that he has spoken to nuns, who confirmed of being pressurized by police. He said, “The nun has told their lawyer that she was made to sign under force. She was pressurized… The sisters are absolutely innocent. I am appealing to all, allow them to do their work in peace.”

He further added, “The First Information Report seems to have accused the Sister of being responsible for baby sale… I want to make it absolutely clear that a whole organisation cannot be maligned for one or two people”. Criticising the manner in which investigation is being conducted, he said that the police is ‘treating the whole of Mother Teresa’s organisation as a criminal gang’.

As state’s Child Welfare Committee officials accompany the police for the searches, Mascarenhas was of the opinion that nuns are being harassed in the name of investigation, as these nuns barely face press or police, reports NDTV. On the other hand, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has directed the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights to investigate all such shelter homes by August 15.

ALSO READ: Inquiry into alleged baby sale at Ranchi’s Missionaries of Charity branch could be widened

According to the Jharkhand government records, Missionaries of Charity and its five associate firms have received more than Rs 900 crore as foreign donations over the last 11 years.

Image courtesy: The Telegraph