[2][3] The nuns came from Tamil Nadu came to the Nawapura village in the predominantly tribal, Jhabua District at October 11, 1997 to set up a Medical Clinic at the Preetisharan Ashram.
[2] At night, about 2 a.m on 23 September, a group of men came to the ashram and requested the nuns to come with them claiming that a some children at a nearby village were ill.
[5] The men vandalized and ransacked the entire premises, gold and silver ornaments including approximately 20,000 rupees cash was reportedly stolen.
[2] When the attackers started to leave, some men stayed behind and told the others that they would join them later and then dragged the nuns outside the ashram and took turns to rape them.
[7] The Chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Digvijay Singh visited the village and hinted that the attack was a plot by Hindutva groups against the Christians.
[7] The crime reportedly obtained communal and political color after the former BJP Member of the Parliament and VHP leader, Baikunt Lal Sharma justified the gang-rape as the result of "the anger of patriotic, angry Hindus".
[14][15] A fact-finding team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) visited the district and said that the episode is not just a case of rape, robbery and molestation, but points to a larger conspiracy.
The NCW also reported that the villagers depended on the nuns for informal education and medical help because of the lack of government services in the area.
[14] Congress MP, KantiLal Bhuriya accused the BJP for aiding communal elements infiltrating Jhabua from Gujarat and Maharashtra.