Sexual harassment case against pastor: Women’s commission seeks police report
Taking cognizance, Punjab State Women Commission directs Kapurthala SSP to provide immediate police protection to complainant.
Five days after pastor Bajinder Singh was booked on charges of sexual harassment and stalking, the Punjab State Women Commission on Tuesday took cognizance of the issue and sought a report from the Kapurthala senior superintendent of police in the matter.
The commission directed SSP Gaurav Toora to submit a detailed report of the case by March 6.
Commission chairperson Raj Lali Gill also asked the district police to immediately provide police protection to the victim.
Based on a complaint by a 22-year-old woman, the Kapurthala police registered a case on February 28 against Bajinder for sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation.
Gill said she had also spoken to the complainant’s family and assured them of all possible help by the state government. “I have spoken to the woman personally and found that she is terrified since the registration of the case against the pastor. She told me that her family and she have been constantly receiving threats. She fears for her life which is why the commission has instructed the SSP to provide her security cover immediately,” the chairperson said.
The Kapurthala police on Monday constituted a special investigation team to probe charges against the pastor. A three-member SIT, led by Phagwara superintendent of police (SP) Rupinder Kaur Bhatti, and comprising Kapurthala DSP Deep Karan Singh and city police station SHO Bikramjit Singh, has been formed.
The complainant told the commission that she is being pressurised to withdraw her complaint against Bajinder Singh.
The complaint lodged on February 20 says the pastor allegedly sent inappropriate messages and touched the woman inappropriately on multiple occasions since 2020.
The complainant alleged that she and her parents had been visiting the Church of Glory and Wisdom since 2017 and she was part of the self-styled preacher’s worship team from 2020-22. During this period, the accused allegedly took her phone number and began contacting her.
“While talking to me over the phone, he used to indulge in unwanted and vulgar conversations to which I always objected,” the woman said in her complaint. “In 2022, I attended his congregations on Sunday, where he used to touch me inappropriately when I was alone in his cabin,” the complainant alleged, adding that the pastor followed her while she was on her way to college.
She alleged that he threatened her with dire consequences if she narrated her plight to anyone.
Meanwhile, Bajinder’s supporters have called a Jalandhar bandh on March 12 against the registration of the case.
