Twist to AMU professor death case

In a curious twist to the controversy surrounding the death of a gay AMU professor, his cellphone has gone missing even as a case of criminal trespass has been lodged against six persons, including four senior AMU officials.

"We are trying to trace the missing cellphone," City Superintendent of Police Maan Singh Chauhan said.

The cellphone was said to be lying near the feet of Professor Srinivas Ramchander Siras on Wednesday when police broke open the door of his room which was locked from inside.

Chauhan said samples of food found in the kitchen at the time of recovery over Siras' body have been sent for examination.
He said the police did not rule out any possibility pertaining to the cause of his death as the postmortem report was inconclusive.

Meanwhile, a case of criminal trespass has been lodged against six persons, including four senior university officials, on the order of a local court which was approached by Siras before he allegedly committed suicide.

The FIR was lodged last night on the order issued by the Chief Judicial Magistrate here in response to a plea filed by Siras, whose gay orientation was exposed in a sting operation.

"Proctor of AMU Zubair Khan, Prof NAK Durrani, Media Advisor to the vice chancellor, PRO Rahat Abrar and two mediapersons belonging to a private news channel have been named in the FIR," Chauhan said.

The accused have been charged under various sections of IPC pertaining to criminal trespass, physical assault and forcible disturbance of privacy rights.

Siras had pleaded before the court that the accused had forcibly entered his house, deprived him of his privacy and threatened and blackmailed him.

He had also told the court that he had approached the local police station which refused to entertain his case without giving any reasons.

Disposing of his complaint on April 5, the court had directed the Civil Lines police station to register the complaint and investigate the matter.

The body of 62-year-old Siras, a reader in Modern Indian Languages, was found on the bed in his private apartment outside the university.

Siras, who hailed from Maharashtra and taught Marathi, was placed under suspension by AMU Vice Chancellor P K Abdul Aziz on charges of homosexuality at his house inside the campus after a sting operation by a television channel which exposed him having sexual relations with a rickshaw puller.

Last week, the Allahabad High Court revoked the suspension and ordered his reinstatement after he filed an appeal against the university action.