When Beria's fall from power began, Sarkisov passed the list to Viktor Abakumov, the new NKVD chief (and former wartime head of SMERSH), who was already aggressively building a case against Beria.
When Beria's fall from power began, Sarkisov passed the list to Viktor Abakumov, the former wartime head of SMERSH. He was now chief of the MGB-the successor to the NKVD-who was already aggressively building a case against Beria.