Chandigarh: A court in Punjab’s Mohali Tuesday sentenced self-styled preacher Bajinder Singh to life imprisonment in a 2018 rape case.
The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Vikrant Kumar pronounced the verdict after Singh — who was often referred to as the ‘Yeshu Yeshu prophet’ — was found guilty March 28.
While Singh was convicted under sections 376 (rape), 323 (punishment for voluntary causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), five other accused in the case — Akhbar Bhatti, Rajesh Chaudhary, Jatinder Kumar, Sitar Ali and Sandeep Pehlwan — were acquitted.
Tight security arrangements were in place at the court complex before the pronouncement of the verdict as Singh reached the premises under heavy security cover from the Mansa jail.
The case was registered based on a complaint filed by a woman at the Zirakpur police station in Mohali district in 2018.
The counsel for the victim, Anil Kumar Sagar, told reporters, “He (Singh) will remain behind bars till his last breath.”
The victim also welcomed the court verdict.
In her complaint, the victim had alleged that Singh lured her by promising to take her abroad. He then raped her at his residence in Sector 63, Mohali, and also filmed the act, which he threatened to make viral if she didn’t agree to his demands.
Singh was arrested from the Delhi airport while attempting to fly London in 2018. Later, he got bail in the case.
On March 3, the Mohali court issued a non-bailable warrant against Singh in connection with the 2018 rape case.
Singh is not new to controversies. He was booked in another sexual harassment case on February 28, based on a complaint lodged by a 22-year-old woman.
Later, the Kapurthala Police formed a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe charges of sexual harassment against the self-styled preacher.
On March 25, Mohali Police booked Singh for assault and other charges based on a complaint lodged by a woman, days after a video went viral on social media purportedly showing Singh arguing with and slapping the woman.
In the video, which appeared to be a CCTV camera footage from a room reportedly dated February 14, Singh was seen arguing and throwing a bunch of papers at the woman before slapping her.
The self-styled preacher runs a church — The Church of Glory and Wisdom — at Tajpur in Jalandhar, which has a branch at Majri in Mohali.
A Jat from Haryana, Singh converted to Christianity more than a decade ago. His supporters claim that his church has many branches in India and abroad.
The self-styled preacher held religious congregations where a large number of people came hoping to cure their ailments.
These congregations were broadcast live on the YouTube channel ‘Prophet Bajinder Singh’ with a 3.74 million-strong subscriber base.
PTI
