Moga Court Sentences Senior Priest to 10 Years for Sexual Assault

Moga, January 6 – The Additional Sessions Judge’s Court in Moga has convicted a senior priest associated with a religious institution for sexually assaulting a young woman. The court sentenced the accused, Baljinder Singh, to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹55,000.

According to reports, a 25-year-old woman from a village near Jagraon in Ludhiana district had filed a complaint with the police, alleging that Baljinder Singh, the chief priest of Dera Charan Ghat in Jagraon, had sexually assaulted her. The victim’s family members frequently visited the Dera, hoping for prayers to reform her drug-addicted brother.

It is alleged that on May 6, Baljinder Singh took the woman to a private hotel in Moga under the pretext of a special prayer, where he sexually assaulted her and physically assaulted her afterward. The accused also recorded a video of the victim and began blackmailing her, repeatedly committing sexual assault at the Dera twice a week.

Furthermore, on September 2, 2024, another woman had lodged a complaint against the same accused in Ludhiana. Subsequently, the Moga police registered a case on September 18, 2024, under charges of sexual assault and intimidation, and arrested Baljinder Singh.

On Monday, January 5, 2026, during the hearing in the Moga court, based on all evidence and witness testimonies, the court found Baljinder Singh guilty and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment along with a fine of ₹55,000.