On 25th March, Christian Pastor Praveen’s dead body was discovered next to his Royal Enfield motorcycle in Kondamuru near Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh. According to media reports, he was travelling from Vijayawada to Rajahmundry on the night of 24th March after attending an event at a church in Kovvur. His dead body had visible facial injuries and bloodstains.
Praveen Pagadala’s death has sparked political, communal and media tensions in the state. Christian organisations have claimed foul play and called it a “religiously-motivated murder”. However, CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts suggest otherwise, pointing to a series of events that indicate a possible case of drunk driving.
Claiming foul play in the matter, prominent community leaders and political figures, including BRS Youth Wing leader Ganjipeta Raju, have claimed that the placement of the bike on top of the dead body and bloodstain patterns around the scene point towards a planned murder. It has been claimed that the pastor was killed for his religious beliefs. A CBI probe under the supervision of a High Court judge has been sought in the matter.
A case has been registered at the East Godavari Police Station. The police are waiting for the post-mortem and forensic reports. However, several Telugu news channels have released CCTV footage showing him buying alcohol at two different liquor stores, once in Kodad and later in Eluru.
Speaking to the media, East Godavari SP D. Narasimha Kishore said that the pastor’s wife has recorded her statement in Hyderabad. Five police teams have been deployed to expedite the investigation.
Based on the CCTV footage and police inputs, the timeline of his being last seen is as follows:
- At 4:45 PM, the pastor was seen at a Gollapudi petrol station, where employees noted that he was unable to speak properly.
- At 5:13 PM, he was captured on CCTV at Mahanadu Junction.
- At 5:30 PM, he met with an accident at Ramavarappadu and was taken to a nearby traffic booth by SI Subbarao and others.
- Between 5:30 and 8:20 PM, he was seen resting near a roadside railing.
- At 8:47 PM, he left for Eluru, where he again bought alcohol and was captured on CCTV.
One of the earlier incidents that evening involved a minor crash near Paritala, damaging his motorcycle’s headlight and safety rod. Later, in Vijayawada, Traffic SI Subbarao stated that Praveen fell off his bike, appeared disoriented, and was advised not to continue his journey. However, Praveen did not listen to the police and travelled further.
Political angle and ongoing probe
Christian groups have claimed that Praveen was receiving death threats from “communal outfits” and added that no formal police confirmation on this claim has been made public.
Andhra Pradesh Police are investigating the matter from all angles. The police stated that the investigation is pending. They have neither ruled out an accident nor confirmed foul play. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has ordered a comprehensive investigation to ensure transparency, in light of the protests and accusations.
The incident has attracted sharp reactions from different sections of society. While initial reports suggest that Praveen died in a road accident as he was drunk, Christian groups have vowed to continue their protests until justice is delivered. They have demanded a special law to ‘protect pastors’ in India.
