No reason to link deaths of three Russian nationals in India: MEA

New Delhi [India], January 5 (ANI): Two days after a third Russian was found dead near the coast of Odisha, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said it would not link the deaths of three Russian nationals who recently died in India, as the probe is underway in all the cases.

"Necessary investigation is being carried out in death of Russians in Odisha. We are now aware of the death of a Russian sailor in international waters off the coast of Odisha. His body has been brought to Paradip Port for formalities. I wouldn't like to link all three cases together," said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi during a press briefing.

Referring to comment on the alleged "strangeness" of the cases, Bagchi said he wouldn't like to link all of them together nor look at it all together. "India is a large country where a lot of foreigners visit," he added.

Bagchi said that there is "no reason to link" all three cases amid an ongoing investigation by the Odisha government on the circumstance of the deaths.

These remarks by the MEA spokesperson come after the third Russian national who was working as a chief engineer in a cargo ship, was found dead off the coast of Odisha this week. This was the third Russian found dead in the state within a span of two weeks.

Marine police along with other statutory authorities will carry out an investigation of the death of the Russian national, namely Milyakov Sergey, and after that only the final report will be available, police said.

On December 24, Russian national Pavel Antov died after allegedly falling from a hotel's third floor. Another Russian national Vladimir Bidenov had earlier died "due to heart attack", Odisha Police said, citing the post-mortem report.

A team of the Crime Branch, along with the state Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) experts visited Sai International Hotel in Rayagada on December 30 where the Russian nationals were found dead. The team was led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Saroj Kant Mahanta.

The CID Crime Branch of Odisha Police stepped up the investigation of the death of Russian nationals including a prominent lawmaker, in Rayagada. (ANI)