Pastor Bajinder Singh case: Victim appears before NCW

New Delhi: The woman, who was allegedly sexually assaulted by Pastor Bajinder Singh, appeared before the National Commission (NCW) for Women here on Tuesday, officials said.

Bajinder Singh (42), pastor of a church in a village in Punjab's Jalandhar district and a self-styled Christian preacher, has been booked on charges of sexual harassment based on a 22-year-old woman's complaint.

In her police complaint, the woman has alleged that Bajinder Singh used to send text messages to her, and allegedly made her sit alone in a cabin in the church on Sundays, during which he touched her inappropriately.

Police have registered a case against the pastor under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The NCW officials on Tuesday said the woman appeared before them for a hearing.

The commission's chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar had on March 7 said that the panel has sought swift action from Punjab Police in the case.

"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," Rahatkar had said.