In her complaint, the woman alleged that she was made unconscious on the pretext of making obscene videos and subsequently raped from 2017 onwards. File
| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy
Self-styled controversial preacher Bajinder Singh was on Friday (March 28, 2025) convicted by a local court in Punjab’s Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar district for a sexual assault and rape case from 2018. He was taken into custody by the police soon after the judgment was delivered, even as the quantum of sentence would be announced on April 1.
Singh (42), a self-proclaimed pastor, runs the Glory and Wisdom Church in Tajpur (Jalandhar) and Majri (Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar) in Punjab as a part of his Ministries, and claims to cure ailments and other problems by offering miracle services that have often come under criticism from several quarters.
The additional sessions court, Mohali found Singh guilty of sexual misconduct and rape in the case, while the court acquitted five other accused, booked as co-accused in the case.
“Bajinder Singh was found guilty under Section 376 and other sections, while the other accused were acquitted. Bajinder is convicted, and the quantum of the sentence will be pronounced on April 1,” Anil Sagar, the victim’s counsel, told media persons.
In her complaint, the woman alleged that Singh came in contact with her in September 2017 and developed a physical relationship without her consent, and this act was committed against her on multiple occasions. She also alleged that she was made unconscious on the pretext of making obscene videos and subsequently raped from 2017 onwards. She also alleged that Singh demanded a huge sum of money to withhold the obscene videos from being made public. In April 2018, the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Singh under Sections 354 (sexual assault to outrage modesty), 376 (rape), 323 (causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) among others of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Zirakpur police station.
Amid the mushrooming of ‘Christian ministries/deras’, Singh came to the limelight around a decade ago after he started preaching at gatherings at his churches. His career, however, has been marred with controversies. Apart from the 2018 case, a Delhi-based family accused him of fraud in 2022 after he allegedly took money from them to cure their daughter for her illness, but she could not be saved.
Recently, on February 28, 2025, Singh was booked by the Punjab Police in Kapurthala on charges of sexual harassment, stalking, and criminal intimidation following a complaint by a 21-year-old woman who was once a volunteer at the preacher’s ministry, where she spent around six years.
Published – March 29, 2025 09:49 am IST
