ISLAMABAD: A Russian-origin journalist was found dead in mysterious circumstances at her house here on Monday, police said.Maria Golovnina (38) was the Bureau Chief of British-based news agency Reuters for Pakistan and Afghanistan, the police, quoting statement of her office colleagues, said.

Her body was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for postmortem but the hospital administration did not receive a request from the area police for an autopsy till the filing of this report. The Margalla police, however, havetaken up the case and started investigation and rounded up some people for questioning to clear the suspicion.

PIMS sources claimed that there were no signs of torture on body of the deceased, adding that apparently, she died her natural death.

Maria Golovnina was Russian national and had been living in House No 40, Park Road, F-8/2 for the last a few years. The sources, quoting statements of her housemates, said that she died in her bathroom after she vomited. A staffer found her dead in bathroom of her room and informed the area police. However, she always looked healthy and nimble during her job. The police reached the scene and shifted her body to PIMS hospital.

The police said that Maria Golovnina often visited Afghanistan and northern parts of Pakistan for news coverage.The police are investigating the case on different aspects to clear the doubts, a top police officer said.

