Rayagada: The state Crime Branch (CB) stepped up its investigation into the mysterious death of two Russian tourists at Sai International Hotel here. Two teams of CB are on their toes collecting all possible evidence and materials from the hotel and local police station. A team of CB led by DSP Tapan Das has got all data and evidence related to the deaths while another team led by DSP Sarojkant Mohanta visited Sai International Hotel Thursday and quizzed two security guards. The CB officials also checked the entry register of tourists at the hotel.
Some CB sleuths carrying seized materials left for the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) in Bhubaneswar Wednesday night, while some others also visited the district police office Thursday. Notably, the CB is planning to recreate the circumstances in which the Russian lawmaker Pavel Antov died. It was said that CB is investing in all possible angles of the deaths. In its plan to recreate the circumstances that led to the death of the Russian lawmaker, the CB has contacted leading experts based in Delhi. The CB sleuths are specifically planning to conduct a dummy simulation exercise of falling from the rooftop in similar circumstances to recreate the scene and ascertain the situation leading to his death.
For this, a dummy of the same weight and height as that of the deceased shall be created with the help of experts of the anatomy department of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and forensic experts. The objective is to study the fall pattern. In this regard, CB has contacted Dr Rajendra Dangi, former Director, of Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), CBI, and Dr Dogra of AIIMS, Delhi who are the leading experts in the dummy fall simulation exercise. They have been involved in resolving several complicated cases of CBI. They will ascertain the cause, nature, and manner of the incident and the injury on Pavel’s body and crosscheck with the postmortem report. This is expected to help the inquiring team of CB to come to a definite conclusion. The CB team as well as scientific and forensic officers are still camping at Rayagada and continuing with their investigation into the death of Pavel and his friend Vladimir Bidenov which entered its sixth day, Wednesday.
DSP Das had earlier questioned the Town police IIC about the deaths after his arrival and verified the details collected earlier and matched them with the details and evidence collected by CB DSP Sarojkant Mohanta during the probe. Notably, Russian lawmaker Pavel Antov died December 24 allegedly after a fall from the roof of the hotel in Rayagada where they were staying, two days after Bidenov was found dead in his room.
