NCW Demands Arrest Of Pastor Bajinder Singh In Sexual Harassment Case

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports alleging sexual harassment by Pastor Bajinder Singh in Punjab.

File photo of Bajinder Singh.

Source : YouTube

In the latest development, National Commission For Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports on Pastor Bajinder Singh, booked for sexual harassment in Jalandhar district, Punjab.

In a tweet on X (formerly Twitter) NCW posted, "Under the direction of Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, NCW has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports on Pastor Bajinder Singh, booked for sexual harassment in Jalandhar, Punjab. The Commission has urged swift action under Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including his arrest and protection for the victim. ATR & FIR copy to be submitted within 3 days."

Singh, a pastor from Punjab and famous for his 'Yeshu Yeshu' videos, has found himself embroiled in controversy after he was booked in a sexual harassment case.

The pastor has been an internet sensation after videos of him 'curing' people of cancer or bringing them back from the dead have been viral on social media. However, Singh, who is hailed as a 'prophet' by millions, has been booked by the Punjab Police on March 1 in a case of sexual harassment. 

The woman who accused Singh said in a police complaint that her parents started attending Bajinder Singh's church in October 2017.

The victim, in her complaint in Punjab's Kapurthala, said that the pastor reportedly obtained her phone number and began sending her inappropriate messages and engaging in indecent conversations with her over the phone.

The woman also alleged that in 2022, the pastor began inviting her to sit alone with him in church, where he would touch her inappropriately. 

The police has registered a case against Bajinder Singh under sections 354 A (sexual harassment), 354 D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Who Is Bajinder Singh?

Bajinder Singh was born in 1982 in Yamunanagar, Haryana. He became popular on social media in recent years for videos where he was seen 'healing people' in religious congregations.

In 2023, a video of the self-proclaimed pastor left the internet in splits where he supposedly healed a speech-impaired girl.

He has also been jailed for around a decade in a murder case, where he reportedly came into contact with a pastor and became drawn to Christianity. Singh became a self-styled preacher in 2012 and practised ‘miracle healing’ and claimed to cure fatal diseases and other ailments through prayers at his centre at Tajpur village of Jalandhar, according to The Tribune.

The 42-year-old pastor is running his own ministry since 2012, where he organised Sunday prayer meetings. His ministry, the Church of Glory and Wisdom, now operates multiple branches in Punjab's cities like Jalandhar and Chandigarh.

Despite his popularity, Bajinder's Church of Glory and Wisdom is not affiliated with any major Christian denominations.

Bajinder Singh also has a significant following on the internet, with around 3.7 million subscribers on YouTube and 1 million followers on Facebook and 1.1 million followers on Instagram.

He has also been photographed with celebrities like Arbaaz Khan, Jaya Prada, and Tusshar Kapoor; and received endorsements from several actors, including Chunky Pandey and Aditya Pancholi.

The allegation of sexual harassment against Bajinder comes years after he was arrested at the Delhi airport for allegedly raping a Zirakpur woman. However, Singh has denied the allegations of sexual harassment and stalking and claimed that they were part of a conspiracy against him.