Pavel Antonov died on 24 December, allegedly after falling from the third floor of the hotel.
Bhubaneswar:
Odisha DGP SK Bansal has said that the investigation into the recent death of two Russian nationals at a Rayagada hotel is being conducted with an “open mind” and “no evidence of any foul play has been found”.
Russian lawmaker Pavel Antonov (65) died on December 24 after allegedly falling from the third floor of the hotel, while his friend Vladimir Bidenov (61) was found dead in his room on December 22.
Two separate cases of unnatural death have been registered in the Sadar police station of Rayagada.
The DGP said that “so far there is no evidence of any conspiracy” behind the death of the two Russians.
“So far we have not found anything suspicious in the incident…the investigation is being conducted with an open mind,” he said on Sunday.
According to an official statement, CID officials have also collected the charred remains of Antonov and Bidenov from the cremation ground near Rayagada, which will be sent for forensic examination.
Police said the post-mortem report of the Russian lawmaker indicated he died of internal injuries after the fall, while Bidenov pointed to a heart attack.
The last rites of both the men were completed with the consent of their family members and the Russian Embassy.
A group of four Russians, including Antonov and Bidenov, along with their Delhi-based tour guide Jitendra Singh, had reached Odisha on 19 December, and checked into a hotel on 21 December.
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