Moga: A court in Moga has sentenced Baljinder Singh, the chief sevadar of a religious place, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹55,000 in a rape and criminal intimidation case. The verdict was delivered by an Additional Sessions Judge after holding the accused guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman under the guise of religious assistance.
The case was registered on September 18, 2024, by the Mehna police in Moga under charges of rape and threats. Earlier, Baljinder Singh had already been arrested after another woman lodged a similar rape complaint against him on September 2, 2024.
According to the prosecution, the survivor, a 25-year-old woman from Ludhiana district, stated that her family regularly visited a religious dera. Disturbed by her brother’s drug addiction, she approached Baljinder Singh seeking spiritual help. The accused allegedly assured her of prayers and asked her to accompany him.
On May 6, 2024, Baljinder Singh, along with an associate, took the woman in a car towards Moga. Before reaching the city, near Bugipura Chowk, he suggested stopping at a hotel for food before performing prayers. The woman alleged that the accused had already booked a room at the hotel. Once inside, he sent his associate out, locked the room, assaulted her, recorded an objectionable video after beating her, and raped her.
The survivor further alleged that the accused threatened to make the video public and continued to sexually exploit her by summoning her to the dera twice a week. The abuse reportedly continued until his arrest following another rape complaint filed by a different woman in September 2024.
After recording the victim’s statement and completing the investigation, police filed charges against Baljinder Singh. During the trial, the court found the evidence and testimony credible and convicted him, sentencing him to 10 years in prison along with a monetary penalty.
