An Indian court has sentenced self-styled Christian preacher Bajinder Singh to life imprisonment for raping a woman in 2018.
The woman had accused Singh of raping her at his home in the northern state of Punjab, recording the act and using the video later to blackmail her.
Singh, who has millions of followers, rose to fame for his evangelist-style preaching and events, where he can be seen “healing” people suffering from serious illnesses by placing his hands on them.
His Church of Glory and Wisdom – which is one of the largest private churches in Punjab – counts some Bollywood stars as followers and says it has branches across the world.
According to his website, the branches are in countries such as the US, UK and Canada.
Singh also has significant presence on social media with more than three million subscribers on YouTube.
The preacher, who attends well-attended sessions in sharp suits, is known for giving fiery sermons – often claiming that he can make people extremely wealthy and cure them of illnesses. In many of his viral videos, he can be seen whipping the crowds into a frenzy.
He places his hands on his followers who shake and convulse before claiming to be miraculously healed from whatever is ailing them.
On Tuesday, after the court pronounced the punishment for Singh in the 2018 rape case, the woman’s lawyer, Anil Sagar, hailed the decision, calling it an “exemplary punishment”.
“Any leniency in such cases where people use their social position to rape poor and weak people increases the confidence of predators,” Mr Sagar said.
Singh’s lawyers have not commented on the verdict. He is expected to appeal against the order in the high court.
The preacher has also been accused of sexual assault by at least two other women. In February, police began an investigation after a former disciple accused him of sexual assault.
Days later, the Punjab police registered a third case against Singh for allegedly assaulting another woman after a prayer session. He has denied both the allegations.
His churches have also faced financial scrutiny. In January last year, some of them were investigated by India’s income-tax department.
Born in Haryana state in a Hindu family, he reportedly converted to Christianity about 15 years ago when he was in prison. Media reports said he was in jail in connection with a murder case, but he has publicly not commented on it.
On his website, he claims that “evil forces” had pushed him towards a life of crime before someone handed him a Bible and he found God. His website also refers to him as a “prophet” and offers “services” of healing people with holy oil and water.
Because of the various criminal cases against him, he is described as a controversial figure in the media. But his supporters defend him – and Singh himself has previously attributed some of the negative press to “schemes” and “plots” by rival pastors.