Pastor Bajinder convicted in Zirakpur rape case, quantum on April 1

Self-styled preacher pastor, Bajinder Singh (42), on Friday was convicted in a rape case registered against him in 2018 at the Zirakpur police station.

The additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) Vikrant Gupta will pronounce the quantum of punishment on April 1.

Bajinder has been convicted under Sections 376 (rape), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

He has been taken to Patiala jail.

On Friday, Bajinder, who runs the Church of Glory and Wisdom, was produced before the court amid heavy police security.

Five other accused in the case—pastor Jatinder, pastor Akbar, Sattar Ali, and Sandeep Pehalwan— were acquitted.

The case dates back to 2018, when a woman from Zirakpur lodged a complaint, alleging that Bajinder sexually assaulted her under the pretence of helping her travel abroad. She claimed that he recorded an obscene video of her. She alleged that the accused had threatened to post the video on social media if she did not agree to his demands. Bajinder was out on bail in the case.

The Mohali court issued a non-bailable warrant against Bajinder on March 3.

On February 28 last month, Bajinder was booked on the charges of sexual assault and stalking in Kapurthala, based on a complaint by a 22-year-old woman. Kapurthala police registered an FIR under Sections 354-A (sexual harassment), 354-D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Kapurthala city police station. He is yet to be arrested in this case.

The Kapurthala police constituted a three-member special investigation team (SIT) under the supervision of Phagwara SP Rupinder Kaur Bhatti with DSP-Kapurthala and SHO-Kapurthala city police station as its members.

On March 25, the Mohali police booked the controversial preacher days after a purported video of him assaulting a man and woman in his office went viral on social media.

The video is of the Church of Glory and Wisdom at Majri run by pastor Bajinder. The CCTV footage from his office is of February 13, 2025, said officials.

He was booked under sections 74 (assault or the use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage modesty), 126 (2) (wrongful restraint), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt to someone), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the BNS at the Majri police station following the complaint of victim Ranjit Kaur, 40, of Kharar who worked at the church as pastor under the accused for 13 years.

Chequered past

Born into a Haryanvi Jat family in Yamunanagar district, Bajinder converted to Christianity in 2012 while serving time in jail in a murder case. It is said that he came in contact with a pastor in prison and developed an inclination toward Christianity. According to police sources, he would read the Bible daily.

In 2012, after his release, he began holding Sunday prayer meetings for ‘healing’ and quickly gained popularity. Today, he runs the Church of Glory and Wisdom in Majri, Mohali, as well as another in Jalandhar. He claims to have around three lakh followers from various faiths across India and abroad.

He has established eight churches across Punjab and has appointed pastors to run them.