Dera Baba Nanak, April 22 - A case of rape and kidnapping has been registered against a pastor and 12 others at the Dera Baba Nanak police station here following a complaint filed by a 22-year-old girl. The victim alleged that Pastor Manjit Singh beat her up and forced her to convert. Apart from Manjit Singh, the other accused are her father Swar Masih, sisters Kajal, Reena and Gina, the victim's cousins, Napinder Singh, Parvez Masih, Happy Masih, Rajinder Singh and Rimi. A case has also been registered against two unidentified persons.
This is the third incident in the state involving Christian pastors. Earlier, Bajinder Singh of Mohali was convicted on rape charges. In another case, Jashan Gill of Gurdaspur was detained for similar offences. The FIR registered at Dera Baba Nanak police station has been filed under sections 70, 127 (4) and 61 (2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The complainant said in her petition, “Swar Masih obtained my ID from my cousin Napinder Singh and started stalking me on social media platforms. On January 19, Swar and his family members abducted me from my house and threatened me with sharp weapons.” The complainant said, “Later, they took me to an unknown place where I was kept for three months and raped repeatedly. Pastor Manjit Singh also came there and said that from now on I am a Christian.” The victim said, “Somehow I managed to escape on April 13 when Swar and his family had gone out and forgot to lock me inside the house.”
Regarding this matter, SSP Suhail Qasim Mir said, "We are investigating the matter. I have formed several teams and we hope that we will catch all the culprits soon."