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JALANDHAR: The investigation wing of the income tax department on Tuesday raided more than 10 premises linked to two controversial self-styled Pentecostal Christian pastors — Harpreet Deol and Barjinder Singh — in Punjab.
The action, involving 50 tax officials and staff assisted by paramilitary forces, came a day after Bajinder’s team announced on his Facebook page that he had opened a new branch of “Prophet Bajinder Singh Ministries” in Dubai. Both pastors allegedly claim to deliver “miracle cures”.
The two pastors are among the most influential among their peers in Punjab and their weekly congregations draw thousands of participants from across the state and from other parts of the country. The headquarters of Deol’s church are at Khojewal village, and Barjinder has his church near Chandigarh and in Jalandhar, apart from branches at different places. I-T officials landed at Deol’s church and house at Khojewal, located on the Jalandhar-Kapurthala road, on Tuesday morning. A separate team, along with CRPF personnel, arrived at Barjinder’s church at Tajpur, on the Jalandhar-Nakodar road.
Sources said the action had also been carried out at Kapurthala, Jalandhar and New Chandigarh. At present, I-T officials are assessing documents, property papers and bank accounts. It is unclear whether the department has come across any specific discrepancies. I-T department officials refused to divulge any information about the raids.
The two pastors have also been accused of practising exorcism and claiming miraculous cures for chronic, serious diseases. In the last few years, several new self-styled pastors and churches have emerged. There have also been allegations of aggressive proselytisation by them.
The action, involving 50 tax officials and staff assisted by paramilitary forces, came a day after Bajinder’s team announced on his Facebook page that he had opened a new branch of “Prophet Bajinder Singh Ministries” in Dubai. Both pastors allegedly claim to deliver “miracle cures”.
The two pastors are among the most influential among their peers in Punjab and their weekly congregations draw thousands of participants from across the state and from other parts of the country. The headquarters of Deol’s church are at Khojewal village, and Barjinder has his church near Chandigarh and in Jalandhar, apart from branches at different places. I-T officials landed at Deol’s church and house at Khojewal, located on the Jalandhar-Kapurthala road, on Tuesday morning. A separate team, along with CRPF personnel, arrived at Barjinder’s church at Tajpur, on the Jalandhar-Nakodar road.
Sources said the action had also been carried out at Kapurthala, Jalandhar and New Chandigarh. At present, I-T officials are assessing documents, property papers and bank accounts. It is unclear whether the department has come across any specific discrepancies. I-T department officials refused to divulge any information about the raids.
The two pastors have also been accused of practising exorcism and claiming miraculous cures for chronic, serious diseases. In the last few years, several new self-styled pastors and churches have emerged. There have also been allegations of aggressive proselytisation by them.
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