A pastor from Haryana accused of raping a woman has been nabbed from Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital. The 35-year-old man was about to board a flight to London to attend an event when he was intercepted by cops and taken into custody.
A 31-year-old woman has alleged that the pastor, also known as 'healer baba' in Punjab, raped her on the promise that he will send her abroad. The woman, a resident of Zirakpur in Mohali, lodged a complaint against the accused in April and said that he raped her on multiple occasions, and also made a video of the act to blackmail her.
The police say the 35-year-old pastor, who is from Yamunanagar in Haryana, had been living in Chandigarh and is married and has two kids. He is said to have been a self-proclaimed healer and not associated with any church.
The victim said she met the pastor for the first time two years ago during a prayer meeting. Here's an excerpt from her complaint:
On July, 2017, he called and asked me to join him at an eatery on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway. He also asked me to bring along my passport. When I reached the place he took me to his flat in Chandigarh and promised to take me along with him to England. [sic]
According to the victim, she was sedated and raped by the pastor at his flat. He allegedly raped her on several other occasions after sedating her and also made a video and threatened her.
In April earlier this year, the complainant sought help from a human rights activist who took her to the police. An FIR was registered under different sections of the IPC and Information Technology Act. Six associates of the pastor have also been booked in the case.
