MOSCOW, December 23 (RAPSI) – Investigators seek to extend detention of Oleg Sokolov, the St. Petersburg State University’s history professor, who stands charged with the murder of his postgraduate student Anastasia Yeshchenko, his defense attorney Alexander Pochuyev told RAPSI on Monday.

In late November, the case was transferred from the St. Petersburg directorate to the Investigative Committee’s headquarters. The accused was transported to Moscow.

The investigators’ motion for extension of the defendant’s detention will be heard by Moscow’s Basmanny District Court on December 24.

On November 11, the Oktyabrsky District Court of St. Petersburg detained Sokolov until January 8.

According to investigators, rescuers pulled the 63-year reader out of a local river early on November 9 and hospitalized. Woman’s severed hands and a nonlethal pistol were found in his backpack. Other parts of her body were found in his flat. The man was arrested when left the hospital the next day. He voluntary surrendered.

The victim was identified as the 24-year postgraduate student of the St. Petersburg State University and Sokolov’s partner.

Sokolov pleaded guilty. He said that he gunned the woman and broke up her body.

During the court hearing, he did not object to possible detention, while his defense asked the court to place the suspect under house arrest.

Despite Sokolov pleaded guilty he refused to pour out the alleged crime citing the Article 51 of the Russian Constitution saying that nobody must witness against self, spouses or close relatives.