Was murky politics behind death of AMU's gay professor?

While a missing mobile phone is being touted as the key evidence to demystify the suspicious death of former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) professor Dr Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, most people in the area believe he committed suicide because of the sordid environment in the university

While a missing mobile phone is being touted as the key evidence to demystify the suspicious death of former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) professor Dr Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, most people in the area believe he

Death of a professor Dr Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras reportedly committed suicide

committed suicide because of the sordid environment in the university. In fact a big section of intellectuals both from AMU and outside believe that Dr Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras was forced to take the extreme step because of his colleagues.

"He was not liked by many people and his being a homosexual only worsened the matter. It was a well woven conspiracy to throw him out of the university but at the same time his untimely death has hurt everybody," said a professor from the university on condition of anonymity. He also pointed out the fact that nobody turned up in his defence when he was being persecuted by all sections of the society as well as the university staff.

The controversy
Dr Siras's name sprang up in national dailies after a sting operation by local media showed him having sex with a rickshaw puller in his official accommodation. As soon as the news broke out he was suspended by the AMU administration and was asked to vacate his official accommodation.
"He was never given any opportunity to present his side. Being a homosexual is not a crime anymore but in his case particularly whatever he was doing within the four walls of his flat was his personal affair. Moreover nobody in AMU has actually seen the contents of the CD," said Siras's advocate Satendra Singh Chauhan.
He cited the RTI filed by Dr Siras himself on 15th of February where he asked the AMU administration to provide him a copy of the CD and asked if the members who had seen its contents. But replying to the RTI the university said that it did not have a copy of the CD and none of its administrative officials or the faculty members had viewed it.u00a0

Varsity blues
But the actual humiliation came when the university refused to let Siras join the faculty even after the Lucknow High Court quashed his suspension. "On April 5 he had returned to Aligarh from his hometown Nagpur. The same day he went to the faculty and enquired about his joining process. But he was asked to submit the original copy of the court's order. After that he discussed the issue with me and went back home. Two days later we heard about his death," said Chauhan.
"It is clear that he was pulled into a controversy and was humiliated again and again. A scholar like him couldn't have tolerated it any more. People don't know but AMU is completely ridden with inter-department and inter-faculty politics which often takes an ugly turn," said 70-year-old Matloob Ali Qureshi who was previously a part of the AMU's department of Community Medicines and University Health Services.

The intrigue
Siras who was scheduled to retire in the month of September this year had applied for a two year extension. Under the norms prescribed by the University he was an able candidate for the extension which would have promoted him to the rank of Chairman of the Department of Modern Indian Languages.
But as shared by the AMU staff Siras hardly interacted with any one and was not much liked by people around him. "He was not part of any lobby operating in the University. He was a scholar who had only one passion in life i.e. reading and writing," said one professor wishing anonymity.
"But all this prepares a solid ground for a conspiracy against him. After my 34 years of service in the University I know how people conspire against each other," said Qureshi.

Mystery remains
Amidst all these conspiracy theories everyone, including the police are befuddled with the mystery shrouding his death. "He stayed in our flat for a little more than a month and in that time I met him only four times. Nobody ever came to meet him and he was always surrounded with books. Even when we found his dead body there were articles and poetry lying around his bed," said Siras's landlord, Advocate Subhash Chandra Kamal.
But he also contested the missing mobile phone theory of the cops. "A day after his body was discovered I saw

Invasion of privacy?

The FIR which was lodged by the Aligarh police is not related to the mysterious death of the Prof Siras but against the unlawful and forceful entry by the university officials into his house and intrusion into his privacy. Besides the PRO Rahat Abrar it also names proctor Dr Zuber Khan, deputy proctor Farid Ahmed and Media Advisor NAK Durrani. It has also included two reporters of a local news channel. The viscera and forensic report of the dead professor is also awaited and cops are also going through his two laptops for clues. "We have collected sufficient material for investigation which is already underway. The FSL report is expected to make the reason of death clear," said station officer, civil lines police station, Ghanshyam Singh.

a photograph in a newspaper where his mobile phone and TV remote was lying beside his dead body. I am sure the mobile was very much with him at the time of his death and when his body was found," he said while talking to MiD DAY.
He also added that he never knew about the sexual orientation of his tenant. "It does not make any difference. He was a respectable man and everything seems like a conspiracy to malign him," he said.

Mum's the word
Meanwhile AMU officials categorically refused to talk on the issue and its PRO Rahat Abrar appeared evasive. "I can't comment on the matter as the police are already investigating the case. All I can say is that he was once suspended by the college administration," he said before putting the phone down. Despite repeated attempts, he did not take further calls to clarify his statement.
Vice-Chancellor of the AMU, PK Abdul Aziz also refused to speak to the media and his office said he would be unavailable for the next few days.

Man of literature
Cops also recovered two unwritten books from the bed where the dead body of Prof Siras was found. "One of the books was about Sir Syed Ahmed Khan- the founder of AMU and Prof Siras was trying to get that book inaugurated by the President of India. The second book was his compilation of poetries," said Kamal. He also informed that most of his luggage contained books.