Rights Body Seeks Report From Police On Death Of 2 Russians In Odisha

As the deaths of two Russian tourists, including a law maker of that country, were being investigated, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Rayagada SP seeking an Action Taken Report (ATR) within four weeks.

The order was based a petition filed by human rights activist Rabindra Kumar Mishra of Berhampur town.

The human rights body said the ATR should be submitted within four weeks from the date of receiving the letter, which was issued on Friday.

Mishra told reporters in Berhampur that he requested the commission to look into the matter considering the sensitivity of the issue involving foreign nationals.

Pavel Antov (65), a lawmaker in Russia, died after allegedly falling from a hotel's third floor in Rayagada on December 24, while his friend Vladimir Bidenov (61) was found dead in his room on December 22.

Two separate cases of unnatural deaths were registered at the Sadar Police Station in Rayagada.

A four-member CB team, including two forensic experts, was formed to assist the CID in probing into the deaths.

The investigating agency has also collected the burnt remnants of Antov and Bidenov from a cremation ground near Rayagada, according to an official statement.

The burnt remnants will be sent for forensic examination, it said.

The post-mortem report of the Russian MP indicates that he died of internal injury after a fall, while that of Bidenov points to a heart attack as the cause of death, police said.

The last rites of the two deceased were completed with the consent of their family members and the Russian Embassy.

The team checked the hotel rooms where the deceased foreign tourists were staying from December 21 and seized their gadgets and other belongings.

The CB team also recorded the statement of Russian couple Turov Mikhail and Pane Senko Natalia, who accompanied Antov and Bidenov.

The Odisha police have urged the Russian couple not to leave India immediately as the investigation was in progress.

Meanwhile, Odisha DGP SK Bansal said that best of investigators were engaged in the probe though "no evidence of any foul play" has been found so far.

A group of four Russians, including Antov and Bidenov, along with their Delhi-based tour guide Jitendra Singh reached Odisha on December 19 and they first visited Daringbadi in Kandhamal district on December 20 before proceeding to Rayagada town where they checked in the hotel on December 21.

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