Appeal for justice in the case of Dr. SR Siras

To,
Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil,
The President of India & Visitor, Aligarh Muslim University
New Delhi


SUBJECT: Appeal for justice in the case of Dr. SR Siras (Reader and Chair of Modern Indian Languages at the Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh)

Dear Honourable President,

We write to you as democratic rights activists, womens rights groups, teachers, students, gay, lesbian, bisexual transgender people and concerned citizens to express our deep anguish and outrage at the events which led to the untimely and unnatural death of Dr. Siras, a renowned Marathi scholar, working as a senior Reader in Marathi and Chairman, Department of Modern Indian Languages at the Aligarh Muslim University. We seek your intervention to ensure justice for Dr. Siras, and to prevent such homophobic persecution of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender citizens, or any citizen of this country in the future.

Brief background

The cause of Dr. Siras death, who was found dead bleeding from the mouth in his home in Aligarh on 7 April 2010, awaits confirmation by the competent authorities. The mystery that surrounds his death has deepened with time. The post mortem states that the cause of Dr. Siras death was unnatural. Whether suicide or murder, it is absolutely apparent that his death is inextricably linked to the events of the preceding few months, when he was unlawfully suspended from the Aligarh Muslim University and removed from his official residence on the basis of videotapes filmed by intruders into his home. This blatant violation of Dr. Siras privacy and violation of his human rights provoked widespread public outrage against the homophobic behaviour of Aligarh Muslim University authorities, especially its Vice Chancellor, for being thoroughly unethical, illegal and completely devoid of human considerations

An independent fact finding team found that The way Dr. Sirass case has unfolded in the media and the subsequent harassment that he has faced at the hands of the AMU authorities, points an unerring finger at the complicity of the University authorities in the various illegal actions taken against Dr. Siras The immediate provocation might have been the fact that the Vice Chancellor was coming under enormous pressure due to allegations of corruption and Dr. Siras served as a convenient scapegoat to divert the attention away from various allegations against him. There is an inquiry set up by the President of India after instances of financial bungling and mismanagement came to light. (Annexure: Report of the Independent Fact Finding Team).

The role of the Aligarh Muslim University authorities in this incident has been nothing short of condemnable. The blatant invasion of Dr. Siras privacy, its connivance in the so-called media sting operation, trespassing, criminal intimidation and subsequent authoritarian action of suspending and evicting him from his Aligarh Muslim University residence on the campus, has raised many concerns about the collective vulnerability of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community in India.

Dr. Siras fight for justice

Despite the fear, trauma, harassment and humiliation Dr. Siras was subjected to, he challenged the actions of the Aligarh Muslim University in the Allahabad High Court as being violative of his civil liberties. Dr. Siras stood vindicated when the Allahabad High Court, in line with the Delhi High Courts judgment on July 2 in Naz vs. Union of India decriminalising consensual sex between adults, stayed his suspension and his unlawful removal from his campus accommodation, on 1st April 2010. At this point, Dr. Siras said, I have already said that I am gay. I am the same man, with the same qualifications, with the same features and personality. Now I can go back to my beloved University. Yet, a few days later, he was found dead.

In the weeks before his death, Dr. Siras had antagonised many powerful and influential persons. Until his death, the Aligarh police, blatantly violating Supreme Court guidelines, had failed to file his FIR against the members of the press and the Aligarh Muslim University official who Dr. Siras had named in his complaint.

Shockingly, despite the Allahabad High Court order directing the reinstatement of Dr. Siras, the Aligarh Muslim University administration failed to immediately issue an office memo revoking the suspension of Dr. Siras, which was done only after the news of the tragic demise of Dr. Siras became public.

We also bring to your attention the fact that the post mortem report of Dr. Siras ruled out death due to natural causes and his viscera has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Agra to determine the exact cause of death.

It is also worthy to note that despite widespread publicity of these events neither the State nor the Central Government initiated any action to support Dr. Siras or any action against the Aligarh Muslim University authorities.

Our demands

Under the circumstances, it is imperative that, as the highest authority of this country, you intervene to ensure that process of justice for Dr. Siras is not further subverted after his death. We therefore implore upon you to ensure that:

The Forensic Science Laboratory in Agra does a fair, impartial and speedy investigation into the cause of death of Dr. Siras and its report be made public as soon as possible.
Once the cause Dr. Sirass death is established, those responsible for his death must be prosecuted - for murder if that is the case or for abetment to suicide in case it is established.
The Vice Chancellor of AMU, Dr. PK Abdul Azis, be immediately made to step down for his part in the persecution and harassment of Dr. Siras depriving him of human rights and violation of his fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India.
A posthumous public apology is issued by the Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor to (late) Dr. Siras. He should also be posthumously exonerated of the charge framed against him and reinstated with full benefits to his next of kin.
Strict action is taken against the Aligarh Muslim University faculty members and members of the press who unlawfully entered Dr. Siras home.
Stern and immediate action is taken against SSP Aligarh, Mr. Vijay Prakash and SP City Aligarh, Mr. M. S. Chauhan for not filing the FIR upon receiving a complaint from Dr. Siras. They failed to perform their duty and action against them is essential to restore peoples faith in the police and the rule of law.
A CBI enquiry should be instituted or a sitting judge should be appointed to enquire into the circumstances that led to the unlawful suspension of Dr. Siras..
The actions of the government serve to enact the Constitutional principles of equality, privacy and dignity for all.

The tragic death of Dr. Siras should serve as a wake up call to the government and authorities in charge of higher education. Our campuses should be spaces which encourage the development of diverse ideas, worldviews and life choices and not spaces which narrow down the very horizon of human thinking through violations of fundamental rights.