Sushmita Bai (name slightly changed to protect identity), a Dalit Hindu woman in Chhattisgarh, enrolled in a three-year degree course in nursing and midwifery. Her goal was simple: financial independence and a better life for her family.
But in her final year she filed a police complaint accusing her principal – a Catholic nun – of pressuring her to convert and harassing her when she refused.
Now, Sushmita’s education is in limbo. Her academic record has been tarnished, her degree remains incomplete, and she is facing a smear campaign by evangelical publications that have branded her a liar and enabler of attacks against Christians.
At the center of the case is Holy Cross Nursing College, a private institution in Kunkuri area of Jashpur district, Chhattisgarh, which Sushmita joined in 2022. The principal, Bincy Joseph, has denied the allegations. She is currently out on anticipatory bail, granted by the High Court.
Details of the FIR
On April 6, 2025, Sushmita filed FIR number 76/2025 at the Kunkuri Police Station, accusing Joseph of forcing her to convert and attempting to coerce her into becoming a nun.
The police registered the case under:
- Section 299 of the BNS Act, 2023, for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.
- Section 352(2) of the BNS Act, for intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace.
- Sections 3 and 4 of the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968, which prohibit religious conversions by force, fraud, or allurement.
In the FIR, which Rashtra Jyoti has accessed, Sushmita stated that she resides in Behratoli town and enrolled in the General Nursing and Midwifery course at Holy Cross Nursing College in March 2022. There, Principal Bincy Joseph, a nun, repeatedly pressured her to change her religion to Christianity. Upon refusing, she was evicted from the hostel. Between June 2022 and April 2025, she was consistently coerced to convert and become a nun, and her religious feelings were repeatedly hurt.
Case Status
After the FIR was registered, Bincy Joseph sought bail from the sessions court, but her plea was rejected. She subsequently obtained anticipatory bail from the High Court. The trial has now begun.
At the time of this report’s publication, Sushmita told Rashtra Jyoti that there have been multiple hearings, but Joseph and the college management have not appeared in court so far.
Following her FIR, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) supported her case and organized an Aakrosh Rally protesting against the “forced conversion of Hindus.”
Sushmita’s Background and Statement to Rashtra Jyoti
Sushmita’s mother works as a sweeper in a school, while her father has been bed-ridden for years due to an accident. She has two brothers, both of whom work as daily wage laborers. The family belongs to Turi jaati, which comes under scheduled castes in the state.
In 2020, Sushmita was allegedly raped by Akash Lakda, a man she knew as the brother of her friend. According to this news report, Lakda allegedly raped her in a jungle while dropping her home after a visit to his sister’s house.
Local journalist Santosh Chaudhary, who has closely followed the case, told Rashtra Jyoti that in 2023, Lakda was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty. He later appealed to the High Court and is currently out on bail, awaiting a fresh trial.
Lakda belongs to a Scheduled Tribe, although his family has converted to Christianity. His father is employed by Holy Cross Nursing College, the joiurnalist said.
Sushmita told Rashtra Jyoti that after she took admission in 2022, Bincy Joseph summoned her to her office. She allegedly told Sushmita: “Had I known you had filed a rape case against the son of a college employee, I would never have given you admission.”
Joseph then began pressuring her to withdraw the rape case. She also allegedly encouraged Sushmita to become a nun, allegedly saying: “Who will marry you now?”
Joseph allegedly told her that while Hindu society ostracizes women who have been violated, the Church welcomes them as nuns, offering them a dignified path forward.
Sushmita says she tried to stay on Joseph’s good side. She attended church services occasionally and participated in the prayers, but she continued to practice Hindu rituals in private, guided by her mother.
“When I once mentioned becoming a nun to my mother, she told me, ‘If you want to stay unmarried, be a sadhvi’,” says Sushmita.
In 2023, after the rape case verdict, the situation worsened for Sushmita. She says that Bincy Joseph was angry at her for not turning hostile in court, which led to the son of a college employee being convicted of rape, tarnishing the college’s and community’s image.
From then on, Sushmita claims, harassment escalated. According to Sushmita, the entire year of 2024 was marked by continuous torture. Joseph allegedly:
- Barred her from lectures for being “late” or “undisciplined”
- Evicted her from the hostel in April 2024, citing discipline violations
- Caused her attendance to drop, risking disqualification from exams.
Prevented her from taking pre-tests, whose marks contribute to final scores.
Sushmita says that in March 2025, during final exams, she was targeted during the practical exam, which is evaluated internally (unlike the written exams assessed by external examiners). She says she knew during the practical test itself that she would be marked failed.
The college is affiliated with state-run Raipur University.
Her results came out a month after she filed the FIR. She found that she had failed the year. She had been marked ‘failed’ in practical exam and in most of the written exams, despite having scored 74% the previous year, she says.
Her Current Situation
Disheartened, Sushmita went to the college to cancel her admission in May and retrieve her marksheets and documents from the first two years, along with a relieving certificate.
She says she faced harassment over the documents, which were eventually handed over only on 8 July 2025.
Now, she is looking for a college that will allow her to enroll in the third year to complete her degree. At the time of this report, she has not yet started her search, citing mental trauma and financial hardship.
Sushmita also expressed deep anguish over the evangelical media coverage that has vilified her.
The Nun’s Response and the Smear Campaign
Principal Bincy Joseph has denied all allegations in the media.
Several evangelical publications have echoed her defense:
• Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News) published a report titled “Indian nun-principal denies ‘conversion’ charge by student”.
Joseph is quoted saying: “The student’s allegations are a calculated attempt to defame the institution and cover up her own academic shortcomings.”
The report noted that Joseph is a member of the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross.
Joseph claimed that Sushmita’s attendance was only 32% in practical sessions, while guidelines require 80% attendance in both theory and practicals, and this was the trigger of her “baseless” accusations.
Abhinandan Xalxo, president of the Jashpur Catholic Sabha, told UCA News “The case is clearly fabricated to target the nun.”
• Christian Today, a London-based media outlet, ran a story titled:
“Failing student’s conversion claim against nun highlights pattern of dubious charges facing Christians in Chhattisgarh”.
The report said the case comes amid proposed amendments to strengthen Chhattisgarh’s anti-conversion law.
• The Tablet, a UK-based Catholic weekly journal, reported it with this headline: “Nun charged with ‘proselytisation’ as Indian Christians report increase in attacks”.
Sushmita’s Stand
When asked about the counter-allegations, Sushmita told Rashtra Jyoti:
“These are mere attempts to malign me and undermine my credibility. I stand by my allegations and have full faith in the justice system.”
