BERHAMPUR: In a fresh development on the mysterious deaths of the two Russian nationals - Pavel Antov and Vladimir Bydanov, the Crime Branch (CB) on Monday questioned a police officer and three ambulance staff in this connection. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also sought an action taken report (ATR) from Rayagada police on the day.
Sources said the CB team on the day recorded official statements of the three ambulance staff who had taken Antov to the district headquarters hospital after he was found in a pool of blood on December 24. The interrogation which took place in Sai International hotel, was aimed at ascertaining the exact sequence of events after Antov was found dead and taken to the hospital.
The officials further questioned the assistant sub-inspector of Rayagada Town police station who was the first to have visited the hotel after Antov’s death. Earlier the CB had checked room numbers 319 and 401 of the hotel where the duo stayed, and seized their laptops, mobile phones and other items for investigation besides interrogating others.
Meanwhile, following demands of Berhampur-based social activist Rabindra Mishra, the NHRC sought an ATR from the superintendent of police, Rayagada within four weeks on the two deaths.