Chandigarh: Gurdaspur pastor Jashan Gill accused of rape; family says daughter forced to go through abortion

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], April 5 (ANI): A self-styled pastor in Gurdaspur city of Punjab, Jashan Gill is accused of raping a 22-year-old woman, with the family alleging that Gill forced their daughter to undergo an abortion.
Speaking to ANI, the father of the daughter alleged that his daughter, A BCA student at the time, was "misled" by the pastor.
"We used to go to a church in the Abul Khair village of the Gurdaspur district with our family. A pastor named Jashan Gill misled my daughter and raped her repeatedly. My daughter was 22 years old and was a BCA student. He made her pregnant and later made her undergo an abortion by a nurse in Khokhar village," the father told ANI while remaining anonymous.
Accusing the nurse of medical negligence, the father added, "The abortion was performed carelessly, after which she got an infection...My daughter complained of stomach pain and was admitted to the hospital...Later, after an ultrasound, we came to know that my daughter had an abortion, and then she was taken to Amritsar, where she died during treatment."
The father has also alleged police corruption, claiming that the pastor has bribed the officials, which is why he has not been arrested.
"The police have not arrested him (pastor Jashan Gill). He roams freely, and the police take money from him. This incident happened in 2023," he said.
The father says he has received multiple threats and fears for his safety. The father said that he has approached the Punjab High Court, demanding a CBI inquiry into the case.
"I got a lot of threats, so I left my village...I want justice for my daughter...Punjab Police did nothing. I demand a CBI inquiry into the incident ...I have also approached the High Court demanding a CBI inquiry," he said.
Earlier, in another case, the Mohali Court in Punjab convicted self-styled Christian Pastor Bajinder Singh to life imprisonment in a 2018 sexual harassment case on April 1.
Punjab Police had registered an FIR against Pastor Bajinder Singh after a complaint was filed by the woman alleging assault on her. The incident reportedly took place after a prayer session, where the survivor claimed that she, along with others, was mistreated and physically assaulted. (ANI)