Putin critic Pavel Antov dies of a heart attack in Odisha

Rayagada, Dec 27: Odisha police are probing the death of Russian lawmaker and philanthropist Pavel Antov days after another Russian tourist from the same group was found dead in a hotel in the Rayagada district. Antov, a sausage multi-millionaire, and elected politician had criticized Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as “terror”, according to media reports. Antov was on vacation in the Rayagada region of Odisha where he was celebrating his 66th birthday.

 

 

 

Vivekananda Sharma, superintendent of police, Rayagada, said that B Vladimir died last Thursday after he suffered a heart stroke. Pavel Antov, who was staying as their roommate of Vladimir, died Sunday after falling from the third floor and an investigation is underway to find whether it was a suicide or an accident, according to police.

 

 

 

Sharma said that Antovwas depressed due to Vladimir's death. “Four people came to stay in a hotel in Rayagada on December 21. On December 22 morning, one of them (B Vladimir) died. After post-mortem, it was found that he suffered a heart stroke, died, and was cremated. His friend, (Pavel Antov) was depressed after his death and he too died on December 25,” ANI quoted Sharma as saying. “A probe is being done to find if he (Pavel Antov) died by suicide or he accidentally fell from the terrace.” Jitendra Singh, the guide of Russian Tourists, told news agency ANI that 61-year-old B Vladimir was ill and was found lying unconscious on Thursday morning. “He (B Vladimir) might have consumed a lot of alcohol as he had liquor bottles. He was a heart patient and had medicines with him. His other friend too was drinking,” Singh added. The hotel receptionist said the Russian tourists along with their travel agent checked in at around 4.30 pm on December 21. The tourists were drunk and had liquor bottles with them, he added.

 

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“One of them (B Vladimir) died in the night,” Bijaya Kumar Swain, hotel receptionist said, adding that he was staying in Room 203 with Pavel Antov. “After that deceased's friend and roommate Pavel Antov died. We don't know if he committed suicide or fell from the third floor."