Odisha CID sets up second team to probe deaths of Russians

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Odisha Police has constituted a second team to probe the recent deaths of two Russian tourists in the state, according to an officer familiar with the developments.

The team, headed by a deputy superintendent of police-ranked officer, and also comprising a forensic expert, will visit Rayagada – where the deaths took place – to examine witnesses and identify and collect evidence from the spot.

The first team is currently stationed in Cuttack to interrogate those having links with the deceased, the officer said.

Russian lawmaker and industrialist Pavel Antov allegedly fell to his death from the second floor of a hotel in Rayagada on December 24. Antov, who was critical in June of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s decision to go to war with Ukraine before changing his stance, was found dead on the premises of Sai International Hotel in Rayagada, two days after his 61-year-old friend Vlaidmir Bidenov died of a heart attack in the same hotel on December 22.

Antov arrived in Rayagada on December 21 with Bidenov and a Russian couple, Mikhail Turov and Natalia Panasenko.

A senior CID officer said during the course of interrogation by the first team in Cuttack, Turov and Panasenko revealed some information about Antov and Bidenov’s family.

“CID is in the process of contacting them so as to cross-check the veracity of information collected during the examination. The CID team is continuing with the examination of Panasenko and Turov and trying to ascertain the exact sequence of events that took place,” the officer said on condition of anonymity.

“Both the Russian tourists are fully cooperating with the enquiry. Efforts are being made to collect medical health records of the deceased persons. The team has further examined their tourist guide-cum-interpreter Jitender Singh and tried to ascertain the veracity of the chain of events and crosscheck it with the information collected from Russian nationals,” the officer added.

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A case of unnatural death was registered in both the deaths.

Antov’s post-mortem report said he died due to a rupture of the left lung, liver and spleen, leading to haemorrhagic shock. Bidenov’s post-mortem report said that his death was caused by a cardio-respiratory failure triggered by a “cardiogenic cause”. HT has seen both the post-mortem reports.