Indian media reports say a prominent Indian Punjabi preacher was sentenced to life in prison for rape, while another Christian pastor in Punjab was accused of raping a young woman and forcing her failed abortion, allegedly leading to her death.
On March 28, Rev. Bajindasin, a self-style Christian preacher commonly known as the “Prophet of Yeshuyesh,” was found guilty in a 2018 rape case. He was sentenced to life in prison on April 1st.
The woman had accused Singh of raping her at her home in Punjab, north of India, documenting the act and later using video to blackmail her, Indian media reported.
Singh is also accused of sexual assault by at least two women. Police began an investigation in February after a former disciple accused him of assault. A few days later, Punjab police registered a third lawsuit against Singh as they allegedly assaulted another woman after a prayer session. He denied both allegations.
His church is also facing financial scrutiny. In January last year, some of them were investigated by the Indian Income Tax Agency.
Born to a Hindu family in Haryana, Singh reportedly converted to Christianity about 15 years ago while in prison. Media reports say he was jailed in connection with the murder, but he has not commented publicly on it.
On his website, Singh claims that “wicked powers” pushed him into a life of crime. The site calls him a “prophet” and promotes “services” that include those who heal with sacred oils and water.
Due to various criminal cases against him, Singh is widely described as a controversial person. However, his supporters defended him, and Singh previously attributed some of the negative reports to “schemes” and “plots” by rival pastors.
With millions of followers, Singh has gained fame through his evangelist-style sermons and events. There, laying his hands is seen as “healing” those suffering from serious illnesses.
His Church of Glory and Wisdom – One of the largest private churches in Punjab counts several Bollywood stars among its followers and claims to have branches in the US, UK and Canada.
Singh also has a social media presence with over 3 million YouTube subscribers.
On April 5, Indian News Outlet Mint reported that another pastor, Jashangill, was accused of raping a 22-year-old woman in 2023. The woman is said to have become pregnant and was forced to have an abortion.
Citing the victim’s father, the outlet said that Punjab police had petitioned the High Court for a formal investigation after they failed to act on his complaint.
According to the report, the victim was a student from Abul Kar village in Gurdaspur district, Punjab. The father claimed that his daughter and other family members were attending the village church.
“The abortion was done carelessly and then contracted an infection… My daughter complained of stomach pain and was admitted to the hospital… Later after ultrasound, I learned that my daughter had an abortion and then she was taken to Amritsar, who died during treatment,” the report cited the victim’s father as the victim’s father.
The father further claimed that following the rape he was forced to leave the village due to threats from the pastor. He also claimed that police did not arrest Pastor Gill.
