Russian MP Pavel Antov died of internal injuries in Odisha: Report

New Delhi, December 28

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The post-mortem report of Russian MP and businessman Pavel Antov has revealed the cause of death as “internal injuries” after a fall, while his roommate Vladimir Bidenov had died earlier because of heart attack, said the police trying to clear the air over the death of the two Russian tourists.

The Odisha Police have now entrusted the probe to the CID. Its Crime Branch team is in Rayagada. Odisha Police’s DIG (South Western Range) Rajesh Pandit inspected the hotel in Rayagada where the Russian nationals were staying.

Antov had arrived in Odisha to celebrate his 65th birthday with three other Russians and was accompanied by Indian tourist guide Jitendra Singh. The western media has termed Antov’s death after he allegedly fell off the hotel’s third floor as “mysterious”.

Pavel’s post-mortem report stated that “he sustained a severe internal injury after falling off the third floor of the hotel”, said the Rayagada police. It said the post-mortem report of Bidenov stated that “he died of heart attack”.

Antov was billed as a sausage tycoon-turned-politician who had, in June, posted an anti-Ukraine war message on social media. He later withdrew it, stating that the post was due to a “technical error”.

The other two surviving Russians — Pansasenko Natalia (44) and Turov Mikhail (64) and the tour guide were summoned to the Crime Branch headquarters in Cuttack. Both Russians have been told to not leave the state.