Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu Launches Probe Into Death Of Pastor Praveen Pagadala  

Pastor Praveen, a 45-year-old resident of Hyderabad, was returning from a church event in Kovvur late Monday night when the incident occurred.

Investigators are reconstructing events from 11:31 PM to 11:42 PM, the timeframe in which the incident is believed to have occurred. 

Source : X

The Andhra Pradesh government has ordered a high-level investigation into the suspicious death of Pastor Praveen Pagadala, whose body was found beside his motorcycle near Rajahmundry earlier this week. Conflicting accounts from authorities and the victim's family have fueled speculation, with concerns of possible foul play.

Pastor Praveen's Death

Pastor Praveen, a 45-year-old resident of Hyderabad, was returning from a church event in Kovvur late Monday night when the incident occurred. His body was discovered near Kontamuru on Tuesday morning, as per a report on IANS. While East Godavari police initially suggested that he died in a road accident, his family and local Christian communities have raised serious doubts, pointing to recent threats he had reported.

Amid mounting public pressure, the state government has appointed an executive magistrate to conduct an independent inquiry.

The Investigation

The East Godavari Police have also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by DSP Deva Kumar to examine all possible angles in the case. Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage that reportedly shows Praveen's Royal Enfield motorcycle alongside a red car around the time of the incident. Identifying and locating this vehicle has become a key focus of the investigation.

Investigators are reconstructing events from 11:31 PM to 11:42 PM, the timeframe in which the incident is believed to have occurred. 

Forensic teams have conducted a detailed examination of the area and authorities have recovered Praveen's mobile phone near his body. His last recorded call was to a contact named Rammohan RJY, who later identified the body at the scene. The postmortem examination was videotaped before the body was handed over to the family on Wednesday to ensure transparency in the investigation.

The case has gained political attention with Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh addressing the matter on social media. While acknowledging the police’s preliminary assessment of a road accident, he assured the public that all concerns would be thoroughly investigated in light of the serious allegations being raised.

పాస్టర్ పగడాల ప్రవీణ్ గారి హఠాన్మరణం దిగ్భ్రాంతికి గురి చేసింది. వారి ఆత్మకు శాంతి కలగాలని ప్రార్థిస్తున్నాను. కుటుంబ సభ్యులకు నా ప్రగాఢ సంతాపం తెలియజేస్తున్నాను. పోలీసుల ప్రాథమిక దర్యాప్తులో రోడ్డు ప్రమాదంగా గుర్తించారు. వివిధ సంఘాలు పాస్టర్ గారి మృతిపై అనుమానాలు వ్యక్తం… pic.twitter.com/JyntFAFn4A

— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) March 26, 2025