A Russian businessman and lawmaker, and his friend died at a hotel in Odisha within a span of two days. The duo were staying at a hotel in Rayagada district where Vladimir Bidenov, 61, was found dead in his room on December 22, PTI reported.
His friend Pavel Antov, a lawmaker and business tycoon died on December 24 after allegedly falling from the third floor of the hotel building. Antov was reportedly a critic of Russia's attack on Ukraine, a claim that he had denied.
Odisha police superintendent Vivekananda Sharma said Budanov died after suffering a stroke, while Antov, 65, was depressed over his death and "he too died" after falling off the hotel building where he had just celebrated his birthday, the BBC reported. The duo were traveling with two other friends.
Even as the Russian consul in Kolkata told Russian news agency Tass that the police did not see a "criminal element" in the incidents, Odisha DGP Sunil Kumar Bansal on Tuesday ordered a CID probe in the two deaths.
"DGP, Odisha has ordered CID-Crime Branch to take over enquiry into Rayagada Police Station UD Case. These cases relate to unnatural death of two Russian nationals in Rayagada Dist," the Odisha Police wrote on Twitter.
The deaths of two Russian bigwigs add to the long list of people who died under similar conditions over the past year.
Here is all you need to know about the death of the two Russians at Odisha hotel:
Who was Pavel Antov?
A Russian businessman, Antov's fortune was estimated to be around $140 million by Forbes in 2019. He was the founder of the Vladimir Standard meat processing plant and was known as Russia's sausage tycoon.
In June, he had condemned Russia's action in Ukraine after an attack on a residential building in Kyiv left a man dead and his 7-year-old daughter and wife suffered injuries. "It's extremely difficult to call all this anything but terror," he had said on WhatsApp, according to reports in BBC and the Independent.
However, the message was deleted and he later wrote on social media that he supported the president and the war on Ukraine as he was a "patriot of the country", denying the earlier message on his WhatsApp.
BBC reported that Antov was a known person in Vladimir and played an important role in the legislative assembly there.
Police told The Hindu that Antov's friend Vladimir was found dead in his hotel room on the morning of December 22. The night before, the group had drinks there. "According to a doctor, Vladimir had died of a heart attack. He had alcohol on empty stomach," Rasmi Ranjan Pradhan, Inspector in Charge of Rayagada Police Station, told The Hindu.
The cops said that Antov died on December 24 after he returned from Vladimir's cremation, though it is yet to be ascertained if he died by suicide or his death was accidental.
Other mystery deaths in Russia
According to CNN at least 12 "high-profile Russian businessmen" have died either by suicide or under mysterious conditions over the last year. Six of them were associated with Russia's two largest energy companies, the report said.
In September, the chairman of Russia's Lukoil oil giant, Ravil Maganov, died after he fell from a hospital window in Moscow. His company confirmed his death saying he "passed away following a severe illness". Probe agencies later said it was a case of suicide and he had jumped from the sixth floor.
The head of a major Russian shipyard died on December 25. The cause of his death was unclear. Admiralty Shipyards which specializes in building non-nuclear submarines, according to Reuters, said its general director Alexander Buzakov had died suddenly on Saturday.
On December 9, 50-year-old Russian oligarch Dmitry Zelenov died under mysterious conditions in the French city of Antibes. According to the French newspaper Var Matin, he felt unwell after dinner and suffered head injuries after falling from the stairs. He succumbed to his injuries after being taken to a hospital.
In September, former head of Moscow Aviation Institute Anatoly Gerashchenko, died allegedly after falling from stairs. He was 73.
Earlier that month, 39-year-old Russian energy executive Ivan Pechorin drowned off the coast of Vladivostok. Reports said Pechorin was "already tipsy" when he boarded the boat with some friends. Forty minutes into the journey, Pechorin fell into the water, The Global News reported.
If you or someone you know needs help mail icall@tiss.edu or dial 022-25521111 (Monday-Saturday, 8am to 10pm) to reach iCall, a psychosocial helpline set up by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). You can also call +91-9820466726 to reach Aasra, a 24/7 helpline for emotional crisis situations, mental illness issues, and suicidal ideation.