Self-styled preacher and pastor Bajinder Singh, 42, who is already embroiled in a sexual harassment case, has courted fresh controversy as a purported video showing him assaulting a woman has gone viral on social media.
In the video that surfaced online, the pastor is seen throwing a pile of paper on a woman sitting with a child in his office, along with others. Seconds later, the woman walks up to him, after which he seemingly pushes her within what appears to be the office of Church of Glory and Wisdom, headquartered in Jalandhar’s Tajpur village.
The video shows the pastor purportedly throwing a book-like object on a woman’s face, slapping her and fighting with several others. In the video, the pastor, who had previously been embroiled in a sexual harassment case, is seen sitting behind his desk and berating those around him, which includes men, two women, a child, and a teenage girl.
The situation escalates when the pastor picks up an object from his table and strikes a man sitting across. He then stands up, walks over to a youth, and slaps him. When a woman objects, he starts arguing with her.
As the woman protests, the pastor moves towards her and slaps her. Even when others in the room attempt to intervene, the pastor continues his verbal and physical assault, showing no signs of calming down.
Singh, 42, was booked for alleged sexual harassment on a complaint from a 22-year-old woman on February 28 in Jalandhar.
In her complaint, the woman has alleged that she, along with her parents, started visiting Singh’s church in October 2017. The pastor took her mobile phone number and started sending text messages, she alleged, adding that she did not tell her parents about it as she was afraid of Singh.
From 2022, the pastor allegedly made her sit alone in a cabin in the church on Sundays. When she would be alone, the pastor would allegedly hug her and touch her inappropriately, the complainant has alleged.
She also alleged that the pastor had threatened to get her and her family members eliminated if she got a complaint lodged against him.
Police have booked Singh under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Police have formed a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by Superintendent of Police (Phagwara) Rupinder Kaur, to probe the charge.
The Punjab State Women Commission has also taken suo-motu notice of the matter and issued instructions to provide security to the complainant.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also sought swift action from the Punjab Police in the case, its chairperson, Vijaya Rahatkar, told a press conference in Delhi on March 7.
Singh was booked in another sexual-harassment case following allegations levelled by a Zirakpur-based woman in 2018. He was nabbed from the Delhi airport while he was travelling to London.
A few days ago, a Mohali court issued warrants against him in the case.
In 2022, Singh was accused of taking money from a Delhi family for treating their daughter for her illness, but she could not be saved.
