Two assailants entered the home of Pastor Balwinder Pal in the Gandhi Camp area of Batala, Punjab, around 9:30 in the morning on October 8, attacking him while he was alone. Pal ran a small church from the residence. Family members found him critically injured, rushed him to a hospital, and the attackers fled the scene before police arrived.
Police have registered a murder case and named a local resident, Naresh Kumar, as a suspect based on preliminary statements from the family, and are reviewing security camera footage from the area along with other evidence. Pal's brother said the family knows of no personal dispute that would explain the attack. No motive has been confirmed, and the investigation continues.