Two Russian men, including a wealthy regional legislator, reportedly died at a hotel in the eastern Indian city of Rayagada within a few days of one another under unclear circumstances, local media reported.
Millionaire Pavel Antov, a meat and sausage tycoon, was found lying in a pool of blood outside the hotel on December 24, days after another Russian, 61-year-old Vladimir Bidenov, who was accompanying Antov, reportedly died in a hospital.
Antov, 67, was a local legislator in the city of Vladimir, east of Moscow. He belonged to the ruling United Russia party aligned with President Vladimir Putin.
In June, a story about the shelling of a residential building in Kyiv by the Russian Army appeared on Antov’s WhatsApp account.
"To tell the truth, it is extremely difficult to call it anything other than terror," the deputy wrote.
A few minutes later, the story disappeared, and Antov called it "the result of a technical error," reaffirming his loyalty to Putin and his approval of the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
"I emphasize once again that I am a supporter of the president and a patriot of my country. I sincerely share the goals of the [special military operation in Ukraine]," Antov said at the time.
Antov's death occurred two days after his friend, Bidenov, fell ill in his room "due to excessive amounts of alcohol" and died in the hospital, Indian media reported.
Russia's consul-general in Calcutta, Aleksei Idamkin, said that the Indian police "so far do not see a criminal component" in the two deaths.
According to media reports, the bodies of both Antov and Bidenov have already been cremated.