DU professor death: Friend says deceased had discussed with his mother about going to CBI

Hours before they died, DU professor Alan Stanley and his mother had talked about seeking a CBI probe into the death of his stepfather as they were frustrated by the media trial, a family friend said on Tuesday.

The decapitated body of Stanley (27), who was an ad-hoc professor in Delhi University's (DU) St Stephen's College, was found on the railway tracks at Sarai Rohilla on Saturday while his mother Lissy was found hanging from a ceiling fan, with her mouth stuffed with a piece of cloth, in their Pitampura flat.

The crime branch of Kerala Police is probing the abetment-to-suicide case registered against Stanley and his mother in Idukki district.

 

TD Thomas, a family friend said,"Last Saturday, Alan and Lissy told me over phone that they cannot withstand the media trial and requested me to file a case in the court seeking CBI enquiry into Wilson's (Lissy's second husband) death.

"I even met an advocate and was arranging for it. But by that time I got a message that they are no more."

Wilson had allegedly committed suicide by hanging in December. In April, Wilson's family had filed a case against Stanley and his mother alleging that she had forced her husband to transfer money in her account.

"Ten days ago, Alan and Lissy called me up saying Wilson's family had threatened them to settle the matter or they will ruin her son's life.

"Alan told me that they were threatened by someone who knew Wilson's son-in-law, son (both from his first marriage) and their advocate," Thomas said.

Alan started crying after receiving the threat and later told Thomas that he wanted to end his life as he could not live in this world with media trial going on everyday.

Few days before their death, a news article had appeared in a regional media in Kerala against Alan Stanley and his mother regarding their case.

"He told me that he could not face his students and wanted to end his life as these allegations were coming out in the print and social media. But I counselled him against it.

"I had told him that if he takes the extreme step to end his life, the world will believe that he was guilty," the family friend said.

Thomas said Lissy were fighting a civil case with Wilson's family pertaining to his property and the court was to deliver its verdict in the case on November 4.

"Wilson's family knew that one third of the property will go to Lissy after the verdict. They started pressurising Stanley and his mother using local media," Thomas alleged.

Thomas also alleged that Wilson's family told Lissy that he had died of a heart attack.

"But it was only after the funeral, she got to know that Wilson had committed suicide. Lissy had also submitted a complaint to Superintendent of Police (Idukki) seeking fair inquiry into the death of her husband and raised suspicion that it was a case of murder," Thomas said.

Lissy's elder brother Babu Cherian said his sister and Allan committed suicide due to media harassment.