Masked assailants gun down AMU schoolteacher on campus

Unidentified assailants shot dead a schoolteacher on the campus of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, on Christmas Eve, police said on Thursday (December 25).

Mohammad Waseem Ali, the university’s proctor, identified the victim as Rao Danish Ali, who taught at ABK Union High School, which is affiliated with AMU.

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The proctor told PTI that Ali was walking near the university's Kennedy Auditorium with two of his colleagues after 9 pm on Wednesday (December 24) night when some masked men approached them and accosted Ali, and fired at him from point-blank range following a brief interaction.

The teacher collapsed on the ground and was rushed to the AMU’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital, where the doctors declared him dead on arrival, Waseem Ali confirmed. The victim had gone to the university’s canteen for tea as part of his daily routine, the proctor said.

Footage unclear due to darkness, fog

Though the shooting was captured on CCTV cameras installed near the canteen, the footage was unclear due to darkness and fog, he added.

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Aligarh Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Neeraj Kumar, along with police personnel, rushed to the spot, and an alert was issued to trace the assailants.

Cops try to understand motive

He told reporters late Wednesday night that police have spoken to the victim's family and colleagues to ascertain the motive behind the killing.

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Police are scanning CCTV footage from the surrounding areas to track the movement of the attackers, the SSP said.

(With Agency inputs)