CHANDIGARH: A court in Mohali today sentenced 42-year-old self-styled pastor Bajinder Singh, also known as 'Yeshu Yeshu Prophet,' to life imprisonment till death for a sexual harassment case filed against him in 2018.
Additional District and Sessions judge of SAS Nagar Vikrant Gupta, pronounced the judgment as Bajinder Singh was brought from Patiala jail and produced before him amid tight security.
Life imprisonment till death signifies a life sentence with no possibility of parole or release, meaning the individual will remain incarcerated until natural death.
After the sentencing verdict was pronounced by the court, Anil Kumar Sagar lawyer of the victim said, " The accused Bajinder Singh has been sentenced to life imprisonment. He will remain behind bars till death. Today only quantum of sentenced was pronounced by the court. We are satisfied with the quantum of sentence. We had full faith in the court. For this kind of person to remain in society is very dangerous. The message has to go to the society that nobody dares to do this kind of shameful act again. ‘’
The victim said," I thank the court for the verdict and also my lawyers who fought it out. This case was buried due to political pressure and money power. ‘’
The case pertains to a rape charge filed by a Zirakpur-based woman, who alleged that Singh sexually assaulted her on the pretext of taking her abroad and also made an obscene video of her.
An FIR, registered on April 20, 2018, at the Zirakpur police station, charging Singh and five others—Jatinder, Akbar Ali, Sattar Ali, Sucha Singh, and Sandeep Pehelwan—with rape, cheating, outraging the modesty of a woman, obscenity, causing hurt, criminal intimidation, and transmitting sexually explicit content. However, the co-accused were acquitted.
Singh, who was arrested at Delhi airport in 2018, had been out on bail but repeatedly avoided court hearings, citing illness. In March, the court issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against him for failing to appear.
Singh, who is based in Jalandhar, runs two churches—‘The Church of Glory and Wisdom’ in Tajpur (Jalandhar) and Majri (Mohali). His sermons, which draw thousands of followers, are broadcast live on YouTube through his channel ‘Prophet Bajinder Singh,’ which has 3.74 million subscribers.
Singh converted to Christianity in 2012 and gained a following by claiming to perform faith healing and miracles. His church, which he asserts has branches across India and abroad, holds large congregations where people seek spiritual healing and relief from ailments.
He was recently booked in another sexual harassment case on February 28, 2025, following a complaint by a 22-year-old woman. The Punjab Police has formed a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the allegations. The Punjab State Women Commission has also taken suo-motu notice and ordered security for the complainant.
Meanwhile, a February 14 CCTV video surfaced, allegedly showing Singh slapping a woman and a man during an argument. Singh is now also facing fresh legal trouble over the new allegations.