Indian police have commenced investigations into the sudden death of wealthy Russian lawmaker Pavel Antov, 65 while holidaying in the country. The wealthy Russian politician is said to have publicly criticized the Ukraine war.
According to police reports, Pavel Antov’s body was found on Saturday in a pool of blood outside his lodgingat a luxury hotel in the eastern state of Odisha. The tycoon’s death comes barely two days after another member of the travel party, Vladimir Bidenov, was found unconscious after suffering an apparent heart attack at the same luxurious hotel in Odisha state and could not be revived.
Indian police on Tuesday said they were reviewing CCTV footage, questioning hotel staff, and awaiting autopsy reports. However, they are yet to uncover any possible sign of foul play. “All possible angles as regards the deaths of the two Russian nationals are being verified,” regional police chief Rajesh Pandit said.
Mr. Bidenov’s heart attack had likely been caused by binge drinking and a possible drug overdose, he said.
“So far it seems that Antov accidentally fell from the hotel terrace,” he added.
As per regional police Chief Rajesh Pandit’s revelations, Mr. Antov and his friends arrived in Odisha state in mid-December. They visited several locations in the state before arriving at their hotel in Rayagada at the start of last week. The police have also questioned two local travel agents with the party together with the other two Russian members of the entourage.
About Mr. Pavel Antov
Mr. Antov has been a member of the regional parliament 90 miles east of Moscow, representing President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party. In 2019, Pavel Antov was ranked the richest among all parliamentarians and senior officials in Russia by Forbes magazine.
Before kickstarting his political career, Mr. pavel Antov founded the food processing enterprise Vladimirsky Standart. In June this year, Russian media published a WhatsApp message attributed to Antov that said a Kremlin missile bombardment on Ukraine was ‘terrorism.’ Responding to the leak, Antov denied writing it and insisted that he fully supported Russia’s ‘special military operation’ on the Russian social media network VK.
The lawmaker’s untimely death was announced in Russia on Telegram by Vyacheslav Kartukhin, the deputy head of the Vladimir Legislative Assembly. “As a result of tragic circumstances, our colleague, a successful entrepreneur, and philanthropist Pavel Genrihovich Antov passed away,” his post said.
“On behalf of the United Russia faction, I express my deep condolences to the family and friends.