An Ursuline religious charged with converting Hindus remains in prison after her arrest in India last week. The High Court in Ambikapur denied bail to Sister Bridhi Ekka of Tildonk despite her attorneys' requests on Monday and Tuesday, the Misna missionary agency reported.
Father Xavier Ekka, education administrator of the central Indian Diocese of Ambikapur, hopes to obtain bail by next week for the nun who is accused of converting 94 Hindus to Christianity in 1988. Chattisgarh, formally part of the Madhya Pradesh state, of which Ambikapur is the capital, prohibits the conversion of people from one religion to another without the administration's permission.
Catholic institutions in Ambikapur stayed closed Friday as a sign of support for Sister Ekka's release.
Sister Mary Rose of the Ursulines in Ambikapur told Misna that some of the Hindu fundamentalist groups had called for the closure of Christian institutions on Monday, alleging that the Christian institutions had violated the law by opposing the court's decision. Sister Ekka has not been allowed to receive visitors in jail.