Who'll claim Siras' Rs. 3cr House?

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Who will claim Siras' Rs. 3cr house? Relatives Don't buy suicide theory

Times of India, Nagpur (April 13, 2010)

NAGPUR: Even as mystery behind death of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)

professor Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras is yet to unravel, his neighbours and

relatives are expecting a dispute for his property in Nagpur that may be

worth Rs 3 crore.

The deceased professor's relatives and friends claim he could not have

committed suicide and are calling his death a murder. They ruled out any

property dispute behind his death.

" He could not have taken such an extreme step. He was living his life to the

fullest and was jubilant person after the Allahabad court had reinstated

him. On April 4, he had thrown a bash for a few of us at Piyush Hotel in

Dharampeth for having won his case, " Wing Commander (Retd) Ashok Mote told

TOI.

Siras' cousin Arvind Baghe also stated that he had fixed their next meeting

on April 18 for discussing a book on noted writer BC Mardhekar.

" On April 4, he had been to our home in Dharampeth. He was in joyous mood

and even distributed sweets for his victory in the court. He was very social

but only with whom his thoughts matched and not with everybody, " Baghe

said.

He added that Siras had done MA in psychology in 1980 from Nagpur

University. " He used to offer consultations to the patients at his home for

some time. How could such a person commit suicide, that too after his

victory? If he had to, he would have done it when he was exposed, " said

Baghe.

Baghe's wife and renowned author Asha stated that the deceased professor had

requested her to write an article for a book he was going to publish in

August. " Last Saturday, we talked about this. As I had not kept my work

ready, he told me write it before his return on April 18. He was a regular

visitor to our home and we are shocked by what we saw in the media. We

couldn't believe the reports of either his being gay or his suicide, " she

said.

All of them also expressed surprise over Siras' wife, whom he had divorced

about two decades back, rushing to Aligarh to collect his body.

" Both of them had a late marriage as he used to suffer from fits in his

early youth and doctors had advised him against marriage. However, it got

completely cured later. The couple got after just about a month. They got

divorced after a long separation. His wife comes from a renowned family near

Akola. She was also getting alimony from Siras, " said Arvind Baghe, his

cousin.

Wing Commander (Retd) Ashok Mote said that there couldn't be property

dispute behind his death, as his wife was divorced and he was living with

his widowed sister, her daughter, and a son. " But now, dispute may emerge

with many possible claimants for his house which is in prime area and might

fetch a good price, " he said.

Mote added that he had known the deceased professor for about eight years

and he was a wonderful human being. Siras had published two books when he

was expelled from the AMU and was writing a third one.

F. Borges

Nagpur

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