National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said on Friday (March 8, 2025) that the panel has sought swift action from the Punjab Police against pastor Bajinder Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment in Jalandhar.
Responding to a question at a press conference in Delhi, Ms. Rahatkar said the commission has directed the Punjab Police to submit a copy each of the action-taken report and the FIR in the matter within three days.
“The case involving a pastor from Punjab that has come to light is a very serious and concerning matter. The way the woman was sexually assaulted is deeply concerning. However, we have not stopped at just acknowledging this, we have taken suo-motu cognisance of the incident and asked the Punjab Police what action they will take,” she said.
The case of sexual harassment against Singh, the pastor of a church in a village in Punjab’s Jalandhar district, has been lodged on a complaint from a 22-year-old woman, police said on March 2.
In the complaint, the woman has alleged that she and her parents have been visiting the church since October 2017.
The pastor took her mobile phone number and started sending text messages to her, she has alleged, adding that she did not tell her parents about it as she was afraid of Singh.
From 2022, Singh allegedly made her sit alone in a cabin in the church on Sundays and hugged her and touched her inappropriately, the complainant has told police.
Police said the case against Singh has been lodged under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Published – March 08, 2025 08:41 am IST
