Who is Bajinder Singh? 5 things about ‘Yeshu Yeshu’ Punjab pastor and 2018 rape case against him

Bajinder Singh, a self-styled pastor from Punjab who gained fame for his viral “Yeshu Yeshu” videos, was sentenced to life imprisonment in a 2018 rape case by a court in Punjab's Mohali on Tuesday.

The court of additional district and sessions Judge (ADSJ) Vikrant Kumar pronounced the verdict.

Bajinder Singh was pronounced guilty on March 28 under sections 376 (rape), 323 (punishment for voluntary causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Also Read | Self-styled Punjab pastor Bajinder Singh seen throwing papers, assaulting woman holding baby | Viral video

Who is Bajinder Singh?

1. Bajinder Singh was born into a Hindu Jat family in Yamunanagar, Haryana.

2. He converted to Christianity 15 years ago while in jail for a murder case.

3. Bajinder began as a pastor before launching his own ministry, Church of Glory and Wisdom, in 2016.

4,. He claimed to perform miracle healings at mass gatherings, drawing thousands. He promises to cure diseases like HIV and muteness, posting these "miracles" on his YouTube channel (3.74M subscribers).

5. Bajnder calls himself ‘Prophet Bajinder Singh’ on Instagram who gained popularity through performances where he sings "Mere Yeshu Yeshu" after supposed miracles.

2018 rape case

1. He was convicted of raping a woman at his Chandigarh home and recording it.
2. The case was registered on a complaint filed by the woman at the Zirakpur police station in Mohali in 2018.
3. The complainant had alleged that Bajinder Singh lured her by promising to take her abroad. He raped her at his residence in Sector 63 in Mohali and made a video of it.
4. She had alleged that the accused had threatened to post the video on social media if she did not agree to his demands.
5. The court sentence comes even as the pastor is facing probe in another sexual harassment case filed on February 28.

Bajinder Singh slapped a woman, caught on camera

• On March 25, Mohali Police had booked the pastor for assault and other charges, days after a video of him purportedly arguing and slapping a woman went viral on social media.
• In the video, which appeared to be CCTV camera footage of a room, said to be dated February 14, Singh was seen arguing and throwing a bunch of papers at the woman, before slapping her.