By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: “Pavel Antov, one of Russia’s richest diplomats, has been found dead in India. His body found in a pool of blood under his hotel window as he celebrated his 65th birthday on December 25. It’s suspected he ‘fell out of a window’…He had a reputed wealth of $150m,” a Russian Journalist tweeted. Pavel Antov was no ordinary man. He was a multi-millionaire and a politician, an MP from Vladimir Oblast.
The Police in eastern Indian State of Odisha, on Tuesday deputed its CID-CB wing to probe into mysterious deaths of 2 Russian Nationals in State’s tribal dominated southern district of Rayagada.
Odisha Police chief SK Bansal has ordered CID-Crime Branch to take over enquiry into Rayagada Police Station UD Case No.34/2022 & No.35/2022. These cases relates to unnatural death of two Russian nationals in Rayagada.
Russian MP and business man Pavel Antov was found dead after allegedly falling from the third floor window of the hotel on December 24.
Antov’s death took place two days post his 62-year-old friend Vladimir Videnov’s demise, who was also staying in the same room and died after falling ill. Antov, Videnov, a Russian couple and tourist guide Jitendra Singh had come to visit south Odisha districts. All of them checked into the hotel on December 21.
Pavel Antov, who was a lawmaker in Russia, had recently sent out a message criticising Russian attacks on Ukraine, but had later retracted the statement, according to reports.
“We are aware of the tragedy that happened in Odisha, where two of our citizens died. One of them is Pavel Antov, member of the Legislative Assembly of the Vladimir Oblast. We are in constant contact with the relatives of the deceased as well as with local authorities. As far as we know, police do not yet see a criminal component in these tragic events,” the Russian embassy in India told NDTV.
