Chandigarh: Self-styled pastor Bajinder Singh has been found guilty in a 2018 sexual harassment case. A Mohali court in Punjab convicted him of sexual misconduct while acquitting five others facing similar charges, according to media reports.
On 19 March, Bajinder Singh and five co-accused appeared in a Mohali court for a hearing related to allegations made by a woman from Zirakpur in 2018. The survivor alleged that Singh sexually assaulted her at his residence in Sector 63, Chandigarh, and recorded the act. She further claimed that he later threatened to release the video on social media if she reported the incident or refused to comply with his demands.
Singh was arrested at Delhi airport in July 2018 while attempting to board a flight to London for a scheduled healing event. He was later granted bail that year. The case continued for several years, culminating in the recent conviction.
Following the court’s verdict, Singh’s supporters staged protests demanding the cancellation of the FIR filed against him. Bajinder Singh, popularly known as the ‘Yeshu Yeshu’ pastor, rose to prominence through viral videos of his sermons, often featuring the chant ‘Mera Yeshu Yeshu’ in the background. His followers commonly refer to him by this moniker.
Singh has been at the centre of multiple legal controversies in recent weeks. A fresh case was registered just three days ago after a viral video showed him assaulting a man and a woman. The footage, widely circulated online, showed Singh throwing a mobile phone and a book at the two individuals inside his office.
The woman in the video claimed that she had worked at Singh’s church for years but resigned after the incident. She alleged that young women and girls volunteering at the church were being stalked and harassed and that Singh had manhandled those who raised concerns.
Earlier this month, another case was filed against Singh in Punjab’s Kapurthala district. The complaint involved charges of sexual harassment, stalking, and criminal intimidation of a 22-year-old woman. Singh has denied all allegations and claimed that he is being targeted as part of a conspiracy orchestrated by another pastor.
