Bhubaneswar/Rayagada: An elected Russian politician and sausage magnate Pavel Antov died under mysterious circumstances in a hotel in Rayagada on Sunday. According to the police, Antov died after falling from the third floor of the hotel, barely 48 hours after his companion B Vladimir died of a heart stroke.
The twin deaths, within two days, including that of the billionaire, have triggered speculations, given the fact that Antov was a sharp critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine. Antov had also reportedly posted a blog on social media taking on Putin’s decision to invade neighboring Ukraine.
Though the blog was reportedly taken off social media by Antov, speculations are rife that the deaths of Antov and Vladimir were not a mere accident or medico-legal case, but rather ‘political assassinations.
Though nothing specific has transpired in this regard, and the police is tight-lipped, it remains a mystery, why a Russian billionaire would choose Rayagada to celebrate his birthday – hard to comprehend!
Superintendent of Police, Rayagada, Vivekananda Sharma, said that Vladimir died last Thursday after he suffered a heart stroke. Antov, who was staying as a 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.
Sharma said that Antov was “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,” Sharma stated on Saturday.
Antov (64), was one of Russia’s richest politicians. He was twice included in the Forbes list in 2019 with a fortune estimated at $150 million. Antov was the Vice-President of “Vladmirsky Standart” company and MP of Vladimir legislative assembly.