Churchgoers are mourning for the death of a pastor in Tamil Nadu, India, who was found hanging on the rafters of his church. Despite the evidence pointing to murder, local officials ruled the death of the pastor as suicide.

Pastor Gideon Periyaswamy is known for his deep devotion to God. He has a good relationship with the churchgoers in their area, thus many are left heartbroken following his death. The pastor was found brutally beaten and tortured before he was hung at the Maknayeem Church at Kovathur.

Members of the church were heading to the area for a prayer and fast meeting. However, they noticed something unusual when they arrived at the church. They saw that the gate was locked. With that, they opened the gates to the courtyard of the church. The parishioners were terrified and brokenhearted after seeing the body of Pastor Gideon hanging from the church.

According to reports, some of the members removed the thin rope around the neck that strangled him to death. Others searched the area for any evidence and for intruders. When they got the body on the ground, they found a blood clot around the throat and neck due to the pressure of the rope. Aside from that, they also saw bruises and welts, but there are traces of blood.

The parishioners also noticed that the pastor's gold ring was missing. However, they believe that burglary is not the intention since other items in the church were left untouched. They believe that the criminals intended to kill the pastor.

Despite this, the police branded the case as mere suicide. The parishioners, however, are protesting and asking for an in-depth investigation of the case. They are also seeking for the government to place a private, independent doctor on their autopsy team to determine the pastor's cause of death, reports reveal.

The pastor frequently received death threats from radical Hindu groups. They accused him of forcing and paying people so they will convert to his church, which has grown in number. The Hindu residents are not happy with the increase of Christianity in the area.