Rayagada: A 12-member team of Odisha Crime Branch led by DSP Saroj Kant Mahanto probing the death of Russian lawmaker, Pavel Antov and his travel companion Vladimir Bidenov collected latent fingerprints from the utensils and samples of leftover food from the rooms used by the deceased. The team recorded statements from the officials of Rayagada Town police station on Friday.
They first questioned the inspector-in-charge and the local sub-divisional police officer and later, examined the rooms near the spot where Antov fell and questioned the staff of Hotel Sai International, where the Russian tourists were staying.
The forensic and scientific teams accompanying the CB team collected latent fingerprints from the utensils and samples of leftover food from room no 203 and 309 used by the deceased and drew a spot map, of where the Russian lawmaker had fallen down, trying to ascertain the exact sequence of events that led to his death.
Also read: Crime Branch arrives in Rayagada to investigate death of two Russian nationals
It may be recalled, both of them were on a trip to Rayagada for Antov's 66th birthday celebrations. There were two more friends accompanying them-Mikhail Turov and Natalia Panasenko-who are a couple. The four had reached Daringibadi, a hill station in Kandhamal district on December 21, before heading to Rayagada. According to the investigators, Bidenov and Antov shared a room at the Sai International Hotel in Rayagada town, while their friends were lodged in another room.
The next morning, Bidenov fell sick and was rushed to the Rayagada district headquarters hospital where he was declared dead. Police informed the Russian Embassy in New Delhi about the incident. His last rites were performed by the police at the local cremation ground on Saturday. Antov was allegedly shaken by his co-traveler's death and therefore killed himself. Pavel Antov died after allegedly falling from a Rayagada hotel's third floor on December 24. However, police have not yet clarified whether it was suicide or murder.
