Pavel Antov's death case: Russian was not missing at all, says Odisha Police

Glagolev of Moscow was at Puri where he stayed as a paying guest since last 3 months
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

BHUBANESWAR: A 58-year-old Russian who was presumed to be missing - amid international spotlight on the unfortunate death of Vladimir Legislative Assembly member Pavel Antov in Rayagada district - was actually shuttling between Bhubaneswar and Puri all this while.

With some sections of the media reporting that his whereabouts were not known, Government Railway Police (GRP) picked up Andrew Glagolev on Saturday to put the record straight. Glagolev of Moscow was at Puri where he stayed as a paying guest for the last three months. Police said the 58-year-old Russian has overstayed in India after his visa expired in 2016. He was mainly putting up in the ashrams of Vrindavan and visiting Puri. 

His visa expired and no money with him, Glagolev had even applied to the United Nations (UN) requesting refugee status in India. The UN then asked the Government of India to look into his request. The UN Refugee Agency registered his request seeking asylum in India in September 2022 and it is valid for one year, said sources. 

Over a month back, when Glagolev was spotted in the railway station with a placard message “I am a Russian refugee, please help me, he almost went unnoticed by the media though GRP had approached and offered him to shift to a shelter home in the state capital which he refused."

On Saturday, he arrived from Puri in a bus and visited the railway station to seek financial help from the passengers and locals when he was picked up by GRP again. Police said, Glagolev understands and manages to speak in English for which the Government Railway Police officers were able to communicate and collect the details from him.

On verification, GRP officers established that Andrew’s passport is valid but his tourist visa had expired back in 2016. Sources said the Special Branch will intimate Glagolev to Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Hyderabad. 

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