The railway police in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi have detained two people in connection with the persecution of nuns from a Kerala-based congregation on a train journey last month.
“The district administration and police administration have arrested Anchal Arjaria and Purgesh Amaria for their involvement in the forced deboarding of nuns and teenagers from coach B-2 of the Utkal Express at Jhansi railway station on March 19, 2021. “According to a statement issued by the Jhansi administration.
Last night, a railway police official confirmed that the men had been captured.
“At 10 p.m., a squad of railway police was patrolling at the Jhansi railway station when they were told that two people had been debating the March 19 incident and claiming that the police did not behave properly and let the nuns go free. When the men were asked, they were angry and stated that they would stage a rally against the police. This is when they were apprehended. The police have taken suo moto cognizance of this case, and we plan to file an FIR and imprison them “According to Naeem Kham Mansoori, a senior railway police officer.
According to reports, the detained men are members of right-wing parties in Jhansi.
On March 19, the nuns and their two novices were heckled and pulled off a train in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi by members of some specific group (who accused Nuns of religious conversion) and other right-wing organizations. They were only able to proceed after an investigation at the railway station determined there was no conversion involved.
Mr. Shah had vowed to take steps in reaction to the uproar. “I want to tell the people of Kerala that the perpetrators of this incident will be brought to justice as soon as possible,” Mr. Shah said during a campaign rally in Kerala.
Last week, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal called the allegations that the nuns were “attacked” baseless and accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of “making false claims” on the matter.
“There was no assault on any nun whatsoever…when the Chief Minister of the state (Kerala) says that, he is absolutely misleading and making false claims,” Mr. Goyal said at a press conference in Kochi.
