Russians Death In Odisha Raises Suspicion; Embassy Cries No Criminal Links

New Delhi: After two Russians were found dead in Odisha’s Rayagada recently, the Russian embassy today said the state police haven’t yet found any criminal link.

According to reports, two Russians–Pavel Antov and Vladimir Bidenov died at the same hotel in Rayagada two days apart.

As President Vladimir Putin’s critics have died in similar ways in Russia, such deaths have raised suspicion over Russian politics.

According to several reports, 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.

He died after falling from the third floor of his hotel, two days after his fellow traveller was found dead there.

Antov was found lying in a pool of blood outside the hotel on Saturday, police said, adding that they suspected it to be suicide as he was reportedly depressed after his friend’s death.

Vladimir Bidenov, Antov’s co-traveller, was found dead at the same hotel on December 22. He was found lying unconscious in his room on the first floor of the hotel, with a few empty wine bottles around him.