Aligarh:
Aligarh Muslim University Teacher's Association (AMUTA) today demanded a high-level probe into the alleged suicide by an AMU professor, whose gay orientation was exposed in a sting operation recently.
"In view of the sensitive nature of the entire episode, an inquiry should be conducted either by CBI or a judicial officer," AMUTA Secretary Jamshed Siddique said.
The body of 62-year-old Srinivas Ramchander Siras, a reader in Modern Indian Languages, was on Wednesday found lying on the bed in his private apartment outside the university after police broke open the door which was locked from inside.
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.
An emergency meeting of AMUTA has been convened to take stock of the situation.
"We are waiting for the post-mortem report to ascertain whether it was a case of suicide or natural death. But one thing is clear, he was subjected to severe harassment by the university authorities and was under intense mental pressure," Siddique told PTI.
"To suspend a professor without inquiry is unjustified and is another example of the high-handed behaviour of the vice chancellor," he alleged.
However, AMU spokesperson Rahat Abrar denied the allegation of harassment.
"The university had fully complied with the high court order pertaining to his suspension," Abrar told PTI, adding Siras was not handed over his reinstatement order as he was out of town.
While Abrar said the withdrawal of suspension order was issued on April 5, Chairman of the Modern Indian Languages Professor Sheikh Mastan said he had no such information till
this morning.
When Mastan was given a copy of the letter by the university registrar shortly before noon, he refused to accept it in back date.
AMUTA said the serving of the order was a "drama" to cover up the "lapses" by the university authorities.
Meanwhile, Wasim Ahmad, an elected member of the AMU court, supported the AMUTA demand for a thorough probe.