Michael Nayak, a pastor with the Kandhamal Union of Baptist Churches, was found dead in the Kandhamal district of Orissa. The night before he was found, Nayak reportedly met with two Hindu friends who later asked him for a ride home. He was found the next morning lying across the road with a deep wound below his ear and apparent signs of struggle on his body. While police are attributing the death to a motor vehicle accident, Nayak’s family believe he was murdered. Their suspicions are driven by the intentional and defensive wounds on Nayak’s body and the mysterious disappearance of the two Hindu passengers who asked for a ride home; nevertheless, the case remains classified as an accident.
Pray that the truth of Nayak’s murder would be made known, and that anyone found to be involved in his death would be prosecuted.
Pray for the Nayak family as they grieve the loss of their loved one.
Pray for the safety of pastors in India.