RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Special Investigation Team (SIT) disclosed that gospel preacher and First Rate Infotech company Managing Director Praveen Kumar Pagadala died due to injuries sustained in a road accident under the influence of ethyl alcohol consumption, said Inspector General Ofof Police GVG Ashok Kumar and East Godavari district police superintendent D Narasimha Kishore.
Addressing a crowded media conference here on Saturday, they said that after 14 days of investigation, collecting 600 CCTV footages from 42 cameras from Hyderabad to Rajamahendravaram and questioning 92 witnesses, they came to the conclusion that it is a self-road accident under the influence of alcohol consumption.
“We have collected reports from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Hyderabad, FSL Vijayawada, fingerprints unit, motor vehicle inspectors, and experts who inspected the accident site, UPI and bank transactions, besides mobile tower locations and the post-mortem report, and arrived at the conclusion that the bike on which Pagadala was travelling was not hit by any vehicle nor was it a homicide,” they said.
Detailing the investigation features, IG Ashok Kumar said that Praveen had purchased liquor at three shops en route to Rajamahendravaram at Hyderabad, Kodada and Eluru wine shops and paid the amount through UPI. He fell down from the vehicle at Chillakallu, Keesara, and Ramavarappadu ring road.
His wife expressed her trust in probe: IG
The cause of death was due to head injury and multiple injuries due to consumption of alcohol, and there is a possibility that the injuries mentioned in the autopsy were sustained due to a road accident, IG said. Viscera and object analysis were done at FSL Vijayawada. The FSL report indicates that ethyl alcohol was found in the stomach and small intestine, liver, kidney, and spleen, he said.
Praveen spoke to six persons during his travel on March 24. He made two calls to his wife. The others callers were also examined, and their locations also tallied with their statements. The cell tower locations tallied with the journey made from Hyderabad to Rajamahendravaram. In the SIT investigation, a new angle has come to light. Praveen had come to Rajamahendravaram on March 12 and 13 for purchasing a plot and purchased liquor at Sudha Wines in the Lalacheruvu area shop in the city and made the payments through the UPI system, police said.
His arrival was known to only two persons, Adabala John and Akash, who helped him to purchase the plot in the city. A friend alerted Praveen in Hyderabad not to go by bike to Rajamahendravaram. Police said Ramavarappadu Traffic SI Subba Rao, an auto driver, and a tea stall boy also alerted Praveen not to travel on a bike as he was tired.
IG Ashok Kumar said that it is unfair on the part of the police to reveal his personal life. “We will close the case now. We should not further focus on his style of living. Praveen’s wife had also expressed her trust in the police investigation.”
He said so far 11 cases have been booked against the people who passed provocative remarks through social media. One person was arrested. The rest did not come forward to produce evidence that the death of Praveen was a homicide, he said.
IG Ashok Kumar appreciated the SP D Narasimha Kishore, Kovvur DSP Dev Kumar, DSP Srikanth, and five teams for resolving the suspicious death case. It may be recalled that Pastor Pagadala was died under suspicious circumstances on the fourth Godavari bridge national highway under Rajanagaram police station limits on March 24.
