Bhubaneswar, Dec. 25: Three friends of the deceased engineering student, who featured in the controversial video that allegedly shows the presence of Bhubaneswar mayor Ananta Narayan Jena, today appeared before police to record their statement.

While the police have been claiming that the student died because of drug overdose, several political parties have alleged Jena's involvement in the death of the 23-year-old engineering student on May 6.

Though the police remained tight-lipped about the statement of the students, sources said the three reiterated their claims that they had made before the media on Thursday. Sources said the three told the police that the sex video was made by the dead student's girlfriend and also about the circumstances in which the sex tape was handed over to the deceased. The cops have, so far, recorded the statements of 12 of the deceased's friends.

Deputy commissioner of police, Satyabrata Bhoi said that the identity of the trio will be keep secret as it is a sensitive case. " We are also ready to give protection to them if they ask for it. We are examining their statement to proceed in the investigation of the case," Bhoi said.

One of the three youths on Friday has alleged that he was receiving several calls on his mobile from unknown numbers. "Our friend was never a drug addict and he had earlier told me that if the secret stored in his mobile phone gets out, his life would be in danger," one of the three youths said on Friday.

The cops said the deceased complained of vomiting while having a party with his friends at a private hospital in Jagamara. "One of the friends who was present during the party had earlier told us that he had tried to stop the deceased from taking more alcohol after he started vomiting. They had also told us that the student continued consuming alcohol despite their warning, which led to his hospitalisation," said a police official. He also said that the police would interrogate his friends to gather additional circumstantial evidence.

The cops said the deceased's mobile phone had been handed over to his parents after inquest of the body. "If required, we may also ask the parent to handover his mobile phone," said a cop.