A special court in Mohali convicted the controversial Christian preacher Bajinder Singh, commonly referred to as Papa Pastor, on Friday in connection with a rape case from 2018. The sentencing is scheduled for April 1. The judge determined that the pastor was guilty of offenses under sections 376 (rape), 323 (punishment for voluntary causing hurt), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, resulting in his immediate detention and transfer to Patiala jail. The court acquitted five other individuals due to insufficient evidence, while one accused passed away during the trial.
The case originated from a complaint filed by a woman at the Zirakpur police station. The survivor recounted that she first encountered the pastor, who claimed to possess miraculous healing abilities, at a roadside eatery. She began attending his prayer meetings and gradually followed his directives. In September 2017, he summoned her to a roadside eatery in Zirakpur, asking her to bring her passport. He then took her to his apartment, where he raped her under the guise of assisting her with travel arrangements abroad and recorded the incident. Following this, he demanded money for the trip and threatened to release the video if she did not comply.
