Chandigarh: Punjab police has booked a pastor and 12 others on the charges of rape and kidnapping in Dera Baba Nanak town of Gurdaspur district following a complaint lodged by a 22-year old girl.
The complainant alleged she was also beaten up and forced to convert by the pastor Manjit Singh. Police said other accused named in the case included Sawar Masih, Rina, Jina, Napinder Singh, Parvez Masih, Happy Masih, Rajinder Singh and Rimi. Two unknown persons have also been booked in the case.
According to the complainant, the accused Sawar Masih had taken her social media ID from her cousin and started following her on social media. She alleged that on January 19, last, he and his family members kidnapped her from her house and took to an unknown place where she was kept for three months and repeatedly raped. She held that she was pregnant and that she was forced to write on some document that she was in a live-in relationship with Sawar.
Alleging that Pastor Manjit Singh also forced her to drink water and told her that she was now a Christian, the complainant held that she somehow managed to run away from there on April 13 last as the accused forgot to lock her inside that house.
Police said that it has registered a case in the context and is investigating it.
Pertinently, this is the third such alleged case since April 1, last, in which Christian pastors have been booked on rape charges; Earlier, Mohali-based Bajinder Singh was arrested and convicted on rape charges for life in a 2018 sexual harassment case; Another pastor, also from Gursdaspur district, Jashan Gill booked on similar charges, surrendered before police after being on the run for two years, on April 9, last.
