'Yeshu Yeshu' pastor Bajinder Singh sentenced to life for rape
What's the story
Bajinder Singh, a self-styled pastor, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Mohali court in the 2018 Zirakpur rape case.
Singh was convicted under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 376 (rape), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), and 506 (criminal intimidation).
Five other accused in the case were acquitted last Friday: pastor Jatinder, pastor Akbar, Sattar Ali, and Sandeep Pehalwan.
Additional cases
Allegations and FIRs against Singh
The current case against Singh is from 2018, when a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her under the guise of sending her abroad.
He had recorded an obscene video of her and threatened to upload it on the internet if she didn't follow his orders, she alleged.
He was out on bail in the case.
But in February, Singh was booked again for assaulting a woman, Ranjeet Kaur, after a prayer meet.
Response
Victim and advocate react to the verdict
After the verdict, the victim said she was afraid Singh would repeat the crime after release.
"He (Bajinder) is a psycho and will do the same offense after coming out of jail," she said, requesting more security.
Advocate Anil Sagar, who appeared for the victim, demanded stringent punishment for Singh.
"It is important to punish him exemplarily. I hope that after this, the girls who are facing such crimes will come forth and speak about the atrocities," he said.
Who is
Who is the pastor
Hailing from Haryana, Singh rose to fame through claims of miraculous healings.
He runs the Church of Glory and Wisdom in Tajpur, Jalandhar.
He claims he can cure cancer and AIDS, and videos of Singh singing Mera Yeshu Yeshu at religious gatherings while healing the diseases are widely shared on Instagram reels.
In 2022, he was also accused of rape but was acquitted as charges couldn't be proven in court.