Reacting to the Mohali court's life sentence verdict for Christian pastor Bajinder Singh in a rape case, the victim on Tuesday thanked the judiciary.
"I am very happy. I am thankful to the Judge, my advocate. The court has served justice to me. I am grateful for that, I thank the media, but right now I am not well, please come later and I will give an interview to everyone," the victim told reporters outside the court premises.
Pastor Bajinder, a social media sensation, was convicted last week under Sections 376 (rape), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Before the verdict, the woman demanded at least a 20-year sentence for the self-styled pastor.
"I want at least 20 years of imprisonment for him. He knows the law very well and does all this crime willingly. I want women to come out and speak freely about him. They should not get scared anymore," she told ANI.
Earlier, advocate Anil Sagar, who represented the victim, commented on the importance of the ruling, stating, “He was popular as a spiritual leader. His followers used to call him 'Papa ji'. When this kind of crime is committed by such a person, an exemplary punishment must be given. We are satisfied with the quantum of sentence, which is life imprisonment. He has to stay behind bars until his last breath.”
Five other accused in the case—pastor Jatinder, pastor Akbar, Sattar Ali, and Sandeep Pehalwan— were acquitted.
What's the case against Bajinder Singh?
{{/usCountry}}Five other accused in the case—pastor Jatinder, pastor Akbar, Sattar Ali, and Sandeep Pehalwan— were acquitted.
What's the case against Bajinder Singh?
{{/usCountry}}In 2018, a woman in Zirakpur lodged a police complaint against Bajinder Singh, alleging he sexually assaulted her on the pretext of helping her to move abroad.
The woman said he recorded an obscene video and threatened to post it on social media. He was out on bail.
With inputs from ANI