Pro-Vladimir Putin mayor Viktor Tarkhov, 77, was shot and dismembered after returning to their home in Samara from Finland in January, as his granddaughter was arrested
A woman has been held in Russia accused of shooting dead and dismembering her grandfather over an inheritance row.
Viktor Tarkhov, 77, was the pro-Putin mayor of the major industrial city Samara. Both he and his wife were found shot with their remains moved by car and dumped in several locations. Investigators found “fragments” of bodies, some in the granddaughter’s flat.
The couple were allegedly murdered on New Year’s Eve after returning from a trip to Finland and were seen going into their flat – but never left. The couple’s granddaughter Ekaterina Belskaya, 30, has been detained as a double murder suspect.
It is suspected the killing was linked to a row over a £1.1 million inheritance. Investigators believe Belskaya replied to messages on their phones before a friend of the ex-mayor became suspicious and alerted police. The granddaughter allegedly started selling her grandparents’ possessions, including their Toyota car, icons and jewellery. Tarkhov was mayor of Samara from 2004 to 2008.
A Russian Investigative Committee spokeswoman said: “The Russian Investigative Committee has opened criminal proceedings for the murder of two persons [ex-mayor of Samara, Viktor Tarkhov, and his wife]. At present, the granddaughter of the former mayor is being checked for her involvement in the offence.
“She has been remanded in custody. A report will be submitted to the chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee. Investigators are checking various versions and motives for the incident.”
A house belonging to the politician in Moscow was put up for sale and the granddaughter allegedly used a power of attorney with “suspicious” signatures. One theory is there was a family dispute over an inheritance. The granddaughter reportedly refused to testify.
She has been remanded in custody for two months. The slain mayor had earlier worked as a manager at Yukos oil company, headed by Putin rival Mikhail Khodorkovsky who was jailed as a political prisoner before going into exile.
