Bhubaneswar: Why was Pavel Antov’s funeral organised in a hurry, within a short span, following his autopsy? Antov, one of the richest politicians in Russia, died last Sunday in a hotel in Rayagada under suspicious circumstances, within two days, after his companion Vladimir Budanov died, again – unnaturally.
Antov was a Christian and his remains were consigned to flames, instead of a burial. Was his family’s consent obtained before the final rites? Moreover, why were the two bodies not flown back to Russia for the last rites?
Though Rayagada police have urged the media not to fan speculations, the latter is pondering over these questions.
The nature of the death of Antov, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was accidental, said the preliminary postmortem report. The cause of death specified in the report was a rupture of the left lungs, liver, and spleen leading to hemorrhage, shock and death.
Antov died after allegedly falling from the hotel’s second floor on December 24 while Budanov died allegedly of a cardiac arrest 48 hours back.
On the other hand, interrogation of the Antov’s companion couple and tour guide is on. DGP Sunil Kumar Bansal has directed the Crime Branch to investigate this high-profile case.
The accompanying Russian couple, Mikhail Turov and wife Natalia Panasenka took Jitendra Singh, a tour guide from Delhi with them, to Bhubaneswar, and then on Wednesday, their interrogation has been started at the Crime Branch Headquarters in Cuttack.
