Self-styled pastor Bajinder Singh, already serving time in Punjab’s Mansa jail after his conviction in a rape case, now faces a fresh criminal investigation in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur. Police allege that inducements, foreign funding, and an organised network were used to lure vulnerable families into religious conversion.“Bajinder Singh was brought to Bharatpur on a production warrant last Friday night, presented before court on Saturday (August 23), and remanded to 15 days’ judicial custody at Sewar jail. However, Rajasthan Police sent him back to Mansa jail the very next day,” said Advocate Uttam Sharma, who represents the complainant in the case.Jagjit Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Mansa Jail, confirmed to The Indian Express: “He was taken to Rajasthan on Saturday on a production warrant to present in the court there in connection with a case and brought back here on Sunday.”The case originates from a complaint filed by a local resident, represented by advocate Uttam Sharma, alleging that a mass conversion assembly was held on February 11, 2024, at Sonar Haveli in Atal Bandh, Bharatpur.An FIR was registered at Atal Bandh police station under Sections 295A, 298, 323, 120B IPC; later 153A was also added. During the investigation, Bajinder Singh’s name emerged as a key suspect.According to the complaint, poor women, children, and the sick were allegedly lured with food, drinks, and cash inducements of Rs 500. Giant TV screens streamed videos of Bajinder Singh. Attendees were allegedly urged to renounce Hindu deities and adopt another faith.Police said that during the raid, they found 350 people gathered at the venue, seized religious books and “objectionable material”, and arrested three organisers on the spot. Investigators later concluded that Bajinder Singh had funded and orchestrated the event.Story continues below this adAfter over a year of little progress, Advocate Uttam Sharma moved court in May this year seeking a status report on the investigation. The progress report (a copy accessed by The Indian Express) revealed a money trail running into crores, showing how cash inducements and bank transfers were allegedly used to finance conversions.The report points to transactions linked to Bajinder Singh’s ministry worth Rs 4.25 crore, Rs 1.67 crore and Rs 92 lakh at different times between 2021 and 2024. One ICICI Bank account logged transactions running into several crores, with a significant current balance. Another account explicitly cited in the FIR was allegedly used for “conversion activities”. Additional accounts in SBI and HDFC are under scrutiny.Registers listing names of those allegedly converted and details of cash disbursals were also seized. According to investigators, inducements reportedly ranged from ₹200 to ₹25,000 per person, depending on the target group.“The evidence indicates a well-structured conversion racket involving money inducements, organised record-keeping, and deliberate misuse of financial systems. The case now demands a wider probe,” said a senior police officer.Story continues below this adThe report also flags the possibility of money laundering and recommends:• A comprehensive financial investigation to trace foreign and hawala funding links• Scrutiny of benami bank accounts and property acquisitions• Expansion of the probe to other states where similar assemblies were reported• Involvement of central agencies, including checks for FCRA violationsThe officer added that an SIT was formed after the FIR, but “not much was shared by that team and the case is mostly dependent on Atal Bandh police station’s investigation.” He also claimed Bajinder Singh runs 150-200 prayer centres.Story continues below this adBharatpur is the hometown of Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. A local delegation recently met him, demanding a law against religious conversions. “A draft anti-conversion bill exists but has not been passed in the Assembly,” said advocate Uttam Sharma, adding that “conversion has been rampant here for a long time.”A preacher mired in controversiesBajinder Singh, 42, heads the Church of Glory and Wisdom in Jalandhar’s Tajpur village and claims to preside over 260 churches worldwide.He is no stranger to the law. In 2018, he was arrested at Delhi airport in a rape case while trying to fly to London. A Mohali court recently reissued non-bailable warrants against him. Earlier this year, a 22-year-old woman in Kapurthala accused him of sexual harassment and stalking, alleging abuse that began when she was a minor.He has also faced:• Income Tax raids (2023) on his church• A National Commission for Protection of Child Rights inquiry (2021) over a video involving a boy• Accusations of taking money for “miracle cures” that failedStory continues below this adBorn in Haryana’s Yamunanagar, Singh converted to Christianity while serving jail time in a murder case more than a decade ago. After his release, he reinvented himself as a preacher in 2012, first in Mohali and later establishing his Tajpur church.Known for dramatic “miracle cures” of cancer and AIDS, Singh became a viral figure online. His YouTube channel Prophet Bajinder Singh has millions of subscribers. While widely mocked through memes, his Sunday and Thursday congregations drew thousands, generating significant donations.