Amaravathi: Andhra Pradesh Elugu Range deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Ashok Kumar disclosed that the special investigation team (SIT) constituted to probe the suspicious death of pastor Praveen Pagadala had yet to receive his post-mortem report.

He said that the SIT, headed by the East Godavari district superintendent of police, will study the forensic lab reports to ascertain the cause of his death.

Pastor Praveen Pagadala was found dead off the road alongside his bike on the morning of March 25 at Konthamuru near Rajamahendravaram in East Godavari district while travelling from Hyderabad to his hometown Rajahmahendravaram.

Christian organisations and Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy raised suspicions about the pastor’s death, as he had recently expressed a threat to his life.

Addressing media persons on Saturday, March 29, DIG Ashok Kumar said that pastor Praveen Pagadala had recently purchased land near Lala Cheruvu in Rajamahendravaram in his daughter’s name to construct a building. He had also rented a house in that locality.

The DIG said that, except the pastor’s wife, relatives Akash and John, no one knew that he was returning to Rajamahendravaram on March 24.

The senior police officer said that pastor Praveen departed from Hyderabad at 11 am on March 24, crossed the tollgate at Choutuppal at 11:29 am and reached Vijayawada, where he spent three hours at an unknown location, which was being tracked using advanced technology.

He reached the Konthamuru bunk at 11:40 pm, and just a couple of minutes later, the incident took place.

CCTV footage reveals a car behind the pastor’s bike at a considerable distance away. The bike begins to drift away from the road, and then dust rises at the spot at the time of the impact.

DIG Ashok Kumar said there were injuries on the pastor’s hands and face. “We are still investigating if the pasrtor’s vehicle was hit by a car or something. All this can be ascertained only after the post-mortem report is out,” he said.

He said CCTV footage was being taken from Hyderabad and Vijayawada, which was being examined at 15 frames per second.

The DIG cautioned people against spreading speculative information related to the pastor’s death, which the police were still treating asa suspicious death.

He said Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been taking stock of the probe as the top priority.