Pastor Praveen Pagadala dies under mysterious circumstances
Telangana's prominent evangelist, Christian journalist and apologist, Pastor Praveen Pagdala, has died under mysterious circumstances. He was 45 years old. His body was found in Kondamuru near Rajahmundry in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.
His body was found dead in a road accident on the side of the road near the Kovur toll plaza on the morning of March 25. The Bullet motorcycle he was riding was lying overturned nearby, but there were no signs that the vehicle had hit any other vehicle, raising suspicions that the death was a murder.
He was travelling alone on a Bullet motorbike to Rajahmundry around 10:30 pm on Monday after a gospel meeting in Kovur town.
The CCTV footage at the Kovur toll plaza shows him riding the Bullet bike slowly. The body was found before he reached any distance from this toll plaza. The helmet he was wearing was lying near the body without even being scratched. The local media and the Christian community point out that the discovery of a piece of wood near the body, covered in blood, and the marks on his face and body that appeared to have been beaten, increase suspicion that someone killed him.
It is also said that Pastor Praveen had received death threats. He was a powerful speaker and debater in the field of apologetics. He spoke so powerfully in Muslim-Christian debates that he silenced Muslim scholars and demonstrated his Christian faith.
As a Christian speaker, he was a very influential and recognized leader not only in the states of Andhra and Telangana but also across the country. He led the export of food items to Kerala during the 2018 floods. He also worked at the forefront of providing many aids to the suffering people of Hyderabad during the Covid lockdown. Praveen Pagadala, who owned his own IT company in Hyderabad, had earlier anchored various programs on the Telugu Christian television channel Rakshana TV for many years. He has also worked as a moderator on several talk shows.
He had a strong resistance to anti-Christian videos on social media by quickly responding to them, and had set up a studio and related facilities near his office, with several employees working for him.
Thousands of Christians protested near the Rajahmundry government hospital, demanding a thorough investigation into the murder of Praveen Pagadala.
Tension prevailed at Rajahmundry Government Hospital when his body was brought there for autopsy. His relatives and followers alleged that he was murdered and the incident was made to look like an accident. They demanded a thorough probe.
Pagadala was also known for his talks on the Christian satellite channel Calvary TV. In his social media post a month ago, he had reportedly claimed that his life was in danger.
His friends said that there were no signs of any road accident at the spot where he was found dead. They pointed out that his vehicle had no marks to suggest that he had met with an accident. His helmet was also intact. They alleged that a person had publicly threatened to kill Pagadala, but no security was provided to him.
Meanwhile, well-known evangelist and Praja Shanti Party President K. A. Paul has demanded a thorough investigation into the death of the pastor.
He urged the state Home Minister, Director General of Police, and Superintendent of Police to order an investigation into the incident.
