A Mohali court on Tuesday awarded life imprisonment to self-styled Punjab pastor Bajinder Singh in the 2018 Zirakpur rape case. The court pronounced his conviction last week.
Five other accused in the case—pastor Jatinder, pastor Akbar, Sattar Ali, and Sandeep Pehalwan— were acquitted.
Reacting to the verdict, the victim in the case said, “He (Bajinder) is a psycho and will do the same offense after coming out of jail, so I want him to stay in the prison. A lot of girls (victims) have won today. I request that DGP ensure our security since there is a possibility of attacks on us.”
She earlier demanded at least 20 years of imprisonment for the accused.
Advocate Anil Sagar, counsel for the victim, emphasised the need for exemplary punishment.
The case dates back to 2018, when a woman from Zirakpur complained, alleging that Bajinder sexually assaulted her under the pretence of helping her travel abroad.
The complainant had previously stated that she was being pressured to withdraw her statement.
Supporters of the self-styled godman have held massive protests claiming that the victim had given a false statement and that he was innocent.
Bajinder was also booked in an assault case
Earlier in February, Punjab Police registered another FIR against Pastor Bajinder Singh after a complaint was filed by a woman named Ranjeet Kaur alleging assault on her, said Punjab police officials on Tuesday.
The incident reportedly took place after a prayer session, where Kaur claimed that she, along with others, was mistreated and physically assaulted.
Kaur, narrating her ordeal, alleged that she was attacked when she tried to intervene in an assault on another individual present at the gathering.
